Keep Holding On Rewrite
by BellaRose55
Summary: Her head pounded. Thought after thought invaded her mind; she wanted it to stop. For a split second, she considered telling someone her secret, but as quickly as that thought came to mind, it dissipated.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Alex gawked at the image reflecting back at her. She gathered her dark curls in her hand and held them up. A sigh escaped her lips and she released her hair letting it fall onto her shoulders. She pursed her lips unsatisfied by the image in the mirror. She closed her eyes for a minute before she reluctantly pulled herself away from the mirror. She would never be satisfied and she was going to be late if she didn't leave now; she didn't want to hear her parents' angry wrath over her tardiness today. She made her way downstairs and managed to avoid her parents. Justin had an early class this morning and was already gone and Max left for school earlier, claiming to be working on some sort of project. Alex was grateful for the quiet walk to school.

Alex arrived at her locker and her fingers twisted the knob on the lock.

"Hey Alex!"

Alex nearly jumped out of her skin as she snapped her head to the voice. "Harper."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Harper apologized. "You've been very jumpy lately."

Alex decided to ignore the comment as she retrieved a book from her locker. She flinched when she felt large hands rest on her hips. The sweet smell of cinnamon assaulted her nostrils and her body relaxed into the arms that wrapped around her. Hot lips pressed against her cheek. She turned in her boyfriend's arms and threw her arms around his neck. "Hello handsome."

"What's up, Russo?" Dean grinned. Instead of waiting for her response, he leaned down to kiss her lips.

"My day just got so much better now that I'm in your arms." Alex smiled as she reached up to connect their lips again.

"Okay, I'll see you in class." Harper sighed with annoyance. She shook her head at her friend as she took off down the crowded hall.

"Miss Russo! No kissing in the halls for the tenth time!"

Alex pulled away from Dean at the sound of Mr. Laritate's shouting and rolled her eyes. "Okay so we'll go kiss in the classroom then."

"Alex." Dean whispered in a warning tone.

"Watch your tone with me, missy!" Mr. Laritate waved his index finger at Alex as his eyebrows sank on his forehead.

"It's ridiculous that we're getting in trouble for kissing. We're seventeen, we're in high school where people have relationships. It was a simple kiss! It's not like we were taking each other's clothes off!" Alex ranted furiously.

"We can discuss this after school in detention." Mr. Laritate narrowed his eyes at the brunette before he spun and continued down the hall.

"Alex…" Dean began with a sigh. Her behavior was concerning him. She was normally in trouble for devious pranks or because she just didn't care, but the past few weeks she was lashing out.

"No, it's ridiculous! We're not doing anything wrong. Besides it's not like detention is anything new." Alex slammed her locker shut.

Dean pressed his lips together. "Are you sure there's nothing going on or there's nothing bothering you?"

"Would everyone stop asking me that?" She retorted bitterly. "I'm fine!"

"I'm sorry, but…" Dean began.

"I have to get to class before I'm in trouble for that too." Alex interjected. She didn't want to be interrogated any longer.

A huff of frustration escaped Dean's lips as he watched his girlfriend disappeared into the crowded halls. He didn't understand what was going on with her lately, but he needed to find out.

Alex entered the Sub Station quietly. She spotted her mother conversing enthusiastically with a customer in the corner. Her father was in the kitchen making sandwiches. Justin and Max were passing out sandwiches. All she had to do was make it up the stairs without anyone noticing her. She slowly started for the stairs, but her father placed a sandwich on the counter and his eyes looked up to meet hers. She froze in her spot.

"Alex. Nice of you to join us." Jerry's voice was curt as he handed the sandwich to Justin.

"You're in trouble. Again." Justin said as he passed his sister.

"I…had to stay after school." Alex said hesitantly.

"For detention?" Jerry asked. He and Alex both were aware that he already knew the answer.

She chewed on her bottom lip. "Yes, but I didn't do anything wrong."

Jerry's eyebrows rose. "Because you never do anything wrong, right?"

The comment felt like a slap to the face. She peeled her eyes away from her father, casting them to the ground.

"In the kitchen." Jerry demanded. "Theresa, your daughter finally made an appearance."

Theresa's head whipped towards the kitchen to see her daughter walking into the kitchen. She turned back to the customer, smiled, and excused herself before she followed her daughter. "Alex, this behavior has to stop. This is a family business and you weren't here for your shift because you can't behave yourself. Justin and Max had to cover for you. It isn't fair to them. They are always here for their shifts."

"I get it, they're the perfect ones." She muttered.

"Oh stop with the drama queen act." Jerry said abruptly. "Your mother is right and not because Justin and Max are perfect, but because they are not constantly causing trouble. We've had it with your behavior lately. You're selfish, impulsive, arrogant, and disobedient. You better start changing or the consequences will be severe."

Alex blinked back tears. "Okay, can I go now?"

Jerry threw his arms in the air and huffed in annoyance. Theresa shook her head, but held her hand out towards the door. "Fine, just go to your room."

Alex felt the room begin to spin. She blinked several times before she pushed the door open. She started for the stairs as black spots danced in her vision. Her legs were suddenly trembling. Her knees buckled as she reached the second step and her vision went black.

"Woah, Alex." Justin's eyes grew wide as he grabbed onto his collapsing sister. He held her up as she regained her balance and grabbed onto the banister. Justin slowly let go of her, but remained nearby in fear of her falling again. "Are you okay?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm fine. I just got dizzy."

"Are you sure? Maybe you need to eat something or…"

"No!" Alex interjected abruptly. "I…I probably just need water. I'm fine. Thank you for catching me."

Justin watched his sister climb the rest of the stairs. He wanted to go after her to make sure she made it to her room safely and find out what was really going on with her, but he knew she would get mad. Her behavior was concerning him though. She hadn't made a sarcastic comment, teased him, or pulled a prank in weeks. Surprisingly he missed it. She seemed sad and withdrawn now. She used to bicker with their parents, but it lasted several minutes. Now there seemed to be screaming matches daily. He hadn't seen Alex have a pleasant conversation with Jerry or Theresa in weeks.

Alex made her way into her room. She closed her door before she plopped down on her bed. She closed her eyes as tears tumbled down her cheeks. Her head pounded. Thought after thought invaded her mind; she wanted it to stop. For a split second, she considered telling someone her secret, but as quickly as that thought came to mind, it dissipated.

 _Thanks for reading! This is a rewrite of a Fanfiction I wrote years ago; all readers are welcome. I binge watched the show over my winter break this year and then reread my fanfiction. I realized how bad my writing was and decided to rewrite it. I have made some major changes. The idea is the same, but that is about it. The first chapter or two or similar to the original (with better writing), but after that it becomes very different. I hope my old and new readers stick around. I'm open to any ideas or suggestions you guys may have. Hope you enjoyed! Review!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jerry carried multiple bags of garbage through the living room towards the front door. A grunt of frustration slipped from his lips as one of the bags ripped, spilling its contents over the wooden floor. He dropped the other bags on the floor, opened the largest one, and began to collect the mess on the floor and throw it into the open bag. He paused when his eyes landed on the pregnancy test that laid upside down on the hard floor. His stomach dropped. He picked it up hesitantly and flipped it over to view its results. He burrowed his eyebrows; one bold line and one very faint one. His hands grew clammy.

"What happened in here?" Theresa asked as she came down the stairs.

Jerry ignored her question and held up the pregnancy test. "Is this yours?"

Theresa's face contorted into shock and confusion as she walked closer to her husband. "No…"

Jerry inhaled, his jaw clenched tightly. "I was almost hoping it was yours."

"Alex? Is it positive?" Theresa asked as she moved to look at the test. "It's unclear. You don't think she's pregnant, do you?"

"She better not be or I'm going to kill her and then Dean." Jerry said tightly. "Alex!"

Alex descended the stairs hesitantly as the sound of her name. She wasn't sure what she did now, but she knew by her father's tone that she was in trouble. She walked towards where her mother and father were standing. She froze when her eyes found the pregnancy test in her mother's hands. Her stomach lurched; her chest tightened.

"Is this yours?" Theresa asked calmly.

Alex swallowed thickly. The room suddenly felt like a sauna. "No."

"The truth, Alex." Jerry's voice was harsh as his eyes narrowed at his daughter. "We already know it's not your mother's, which only leaves you."

"It's not what you think." She blurted out. She mentally cursed herself for not being able to come up with a lie. The anxiety swimming in the pit of her stomach was clouding her thinking. "I'm not pregnant."

"Are you sure? There are two lines there." Theresa said. Was this why her daughter was lashing out?

"I'm not pregnant." Alex repeated because she didn't know what else to say. Her throat felt like it was closing. Her limbs felt weak.

"You better not be! Why was this even a possibility?" Jerry shouted furiously. "I need to have a talk with Dean. Are you even sure that's negative? You've been awfully moody lately and…"

Alex's vision blurred. Sweat beaded on her forehead. She gasped for air; she couldn't breathe. Her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor with a thud.

Jerry's rant came to a halt as he watched his daughter fall to the floor unconscious. "Alex!"

Theresa gasped as she rushed to her daughter's side. She shook her gently before placing a hand on her forehead. She was taken aback by the coldness of her daughter's skin. "Alex, wake up. Call 911!"

Jerry darted to the phone; his trembling fingers dialing the numbers. Justin ran down the stairs, his heart stopping when he saw his sister sprawled out on the ground lifelessly. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. She just passed out all of a sudden." Theresa remained kneeling by Alex's body. She felt helpless. "She has a pulse, but it's faint and she's freezing."

Justin was frozen in front of the stair case. His eyes remained glued to his sister's eerily still body. He had taken multiple first aid classes and yet any information he learned had escaped his mind in the moment.

Justin peeled his eyes off his sister and glanced around the room. Standing in shock was not going to help. He searched his mind; he learned about what to do when someone passes out. Suddenly he grabbed a pillow and held it to his mother. "I-I think you're supposed to elevate her legs. I think it helps blood flow."

Theresa slid the pillow beneath Alex's legs. She placed her hand on Alex's forehead once more and shook her gently. "Alex, mija, can you hear me? Please wake up."

Nausea swirled in the pit of Justin's stomach. He felt like something was very wrong; he didn't think this was just caused by something minor. His mind flashed back to when she almost fell on the stairs a few days ago. His sister had been acting strange for months and he could only assume this was related.

Time seems to stand still; it felt like an eternity had passed before the sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance. Everything happened in a blur for the Russo family, but they found themselves rushing to the nearby emergency room.

* * *

Dean practically stumbled into the emergency room waiting room with Harper right behind him. They walked over to where the Russo family sat waiting anxiously. "Where is she? Is she okay? What happened?"

Theresa lifted her head from her hands to meet Dean's concerned eyes. Her own eyes were blood shot and puffy as if she had been crying. "We don't know anything yet. She just passed out."

Jerry lifted his head to glare at his daughter's boyfriend. "Would you like to explain to us why we found a pregnancy test in our garbage?"

Justin and Max both whipped their heads towards their father. Justin's eyes grew wide. "What?"

Dean was taken aback by Jerry's bitter words. He ran a hand through his hair. "I…I don't have an answer for that. We haven't…"

Jerry glanced at his wife as Dean's voice trailed off. "Are you sure?"

Dean's head pounded with confusion. His girlfriend had been acting strange for weeks, passed out, and now she had taken a pregnancy test? "Not with me. Unless she's cheating on me…"

"She's not cheating on you." Harper shook her head. "Are you sure it was hers? Was it positive?"

"It's not mine, which only leaves her and her reaction made it pretty clear. The test was unclear, but she said she wasn't." Theresa explained. She was becoming even more concerned now that neither Dean or Harper had any clue about the pregnancy test.

"This doesn't add up." Harper said. She couldn't comprehend this. She and Alex shared everything with each other and now she was finding out that Alex took a pregnancy test. How much was her friend hiding from her?

"Russo? Family for Alexandra Russo?" A woman wearing a white coat with her dark hair pulled back tightly stood in the waiting room.

Theresa and Jerry jumped up and practically ran towards the doctor. "That's our daughter."

"We're running some more tests, but your daughter is severely malnourished and dehydrated. In addition, her blood sugar and blood pressure were dangerously low. We suspect she has Anorexia Nervosa."

Theresa latched onto her husband's arm to stop herself from falling. She couldn't process the doctor's words. Anorexia? Her daughter was starving herself and she had absolutely no idea. What kind of mother was she?

"This doesn't make sense. She's always so confident." Jerry whispered.

The doctor smiled sadly. "She is awake right now and stable. We're giving her fluids. We tried to ask her some questions, but she wouldn't really talk to us. We're waiting for the tests results to come back, but we're going to have a psychiatrist evaluate her as well. She's going to have to be admitted."

Theresa closed her eyes for a moment. "Can we see her?"

"Yes. I'll take you to her."

Theresa turned to her sons, Dean, and Harper. By the look on the faces she knew they overheard the doctor. She waved her hand to follow. The six of them followed the doctor down the hall. She stopped outside the room and held her hand out towards the door. "She's in here. I'll be in shortly with the rest of the results and we'll talk further."

"Thank you." Theresa smiled. She pulled the handle and stepped inside, the others behind her. Her heart broke as her eyes landed on her daughter. "Oh mija."

Alex flashed a smile that failed to meet her eyes. "I'm fine."

"Alex, they're saying that you're starving yourself." Dean said as he walked over to her bed.

Alex forced a laugh. "What? That's crazy. I'm not starving myself."

"Alex, they said you're severely malnourished." Jerry said. He could not wrap his mind around what was happening.

"No, that's…"

"Alex." Dean interjected. "Please no more excuses. We know now so please just tell us the truth."

Alex swallowed thickly. Her eyes darted around the room as she chewed on her bottom lip. "I just…I haven't been eating as much."

"Mija, it sounds like you haven't been eating _at all_." Theresa frowned at her daughter. She couldn't recall that last time she had physically seen her daughter eat. Lately, Alex hadn't been home for meals or claimed she already ate. It had seen reasonable at the time, but now Theresa could see they were all lies. "When was the last time you had a meal?"

Alex took interest in her trembling hands. She couldn't meet the eyes of her family. She couldn't remember the last time she had a meal. Her diet mostly consisted of the occasional protein bar, celery, and carrots. "Um…the…I had…"

"Alex, a healthy person wouldn't have to think about that answer." Dean reached into her lap and took one of her hands in his. "You're sick."

Alex blinked back tears. She had kept her secret for so long only for it to come crumbling down. She remained silent; she had nothing else to say.

Jerry hesitated, but broke the deafening silence in the room. "Why did you take a pregnancy test?"

Alex froze. She was hoping with everything that happened that they forgot about finding the test. She was also hoping it wouldn't have been brought up in front of Dean. "Can we please not talk about this right now?"

Jerry opened his mouth to speak, but Theresa cut him off, shooting him a stern look. "Drop it for now, Jerry."

Alex was grateful for her mother. All of her secrets were coming unraveled and it was more than she could handle.

 _Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed chapter 2. We'll find out more next chapter. Review!_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Dean sat in a chair at Alex's beside. Jerry and Theresa had left to talk to Alex's doctor. Justin, Max, and Harper had gone to get food, leaving just Alex and Dean. He didn't want to upset her further or get her worked up, but there were a million thoughts running through his mind and he needed answers.

"I know you said you didn't want to talk about it, but you and I have to. We haven't had sex so please explain to me why you were taking a pregnancy test." Dean said. He was trying to be calm, but his mind was jumping to conclusions.

"Dean, please don't make me do this." Alex pleaded, her voice cracking mid-sentence.

"I need to know what's going on." Dean's voice was stern as he searched his girlfriend's eyes for guilt. He found guilt, but he mostly found hurt and fear.

Alex hesitated. "Do you remember your cousin's party when we got into the fight?"

"Yes." Dean nodded. He couldn't even remember how the fight started, but he recalled it getting heated and him leaving her at the party. Did she hook up with someone for revenge?

"T-things are kind of blurry from there…" She began as tears welled in her eyes. "I didn't drink anything but soda, but I…"

Dean waited for her to continue, but she remained silent; fighting a battle with her mind. His heart began to pound in his chest. He didn't like where this story was going. "But what?"

"I remember h-his hands all over me and…I couldn't do anything to stop it." The barrier had been broken; tears erupted from her eyes.

Dean swore his heart stopped. His mind had come up with a million different scenarios as to why Alex had taken a pregnancy test, yet never had this crossed his mind. He was suddenly wishing she had cheated on him.

"I…I was hoping it was just a nightmare, but I woke up in the middle of the night and I was still in the house and I was bleeding and…felt awful. He…he was gone after that…" Alex's voice trailed off as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. She took interest in her trembling hands. She couldn't meet Dean's eyes; she feared she would find disgust in them.

"Who is _he?"_ Dean asked. He felt like he was trapped in some kind of nightmare right now.

Alex chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "M-Mason."

Dean clenched his fists and his jaw tightened. "Mason raped you?"

A sob escaped Alex's lips as she nodded her head. Dean's heart shattered at the sight of his sobbing girlfriend. In the year they were dating and nearly two years that he's known her he had only seen he cry a handful of times and never like this. He had a million questions, but he knew that's not what Alex needed right now. He moved to sit on the edge of her bed and gently pulled her into his arms. She buried her head in his chest soaking his shirt as sobs racked her weak body. He held her close, tracing soothing circles on her back. Guilt was beginning to swim in his stomach. He left her at that party. He left her alone and allowed that to happen to her. She was hurting because of him.

Her sobs quieted after several minutes. Dean softly kissed the top of her head. "Have you told anyone?"

She shook her head against his chest. It pained him that she was dealing with this on her own for the past two months. He only assumed this is what led to her dangerous eating habits. He should have pressed harder to find out what was going on with her. She had started acting strange after that night and after that was when her clothes became loser, the mood swings had started, and she had excuses for missing meals. Looking back, it all made complete sense, yet somehow he had missed all the signs until now.

"And you're not pregnant?" He asked.

She shook her head again before she lifted her head off his chest. "I took emergency contraceptive the next morning, but I never got my period and I was freaking out that I was so that's why I took the test. Of course the results were unclear so I went to Planned Parenthood to get tested for that and STDs, but everything came back negative."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

"Because I'm scared and disgusted and I wanted to just forget. I was afraid of what you would say; that you would be disgusted by me…" Her voice cracked as more tears stung her eye lids.

"Alex…" Dean breathed as his hand reached up to push her curls behind her ear. He then rested his hand on her cheek, his thumb gently brushing away her tears. "I'm not going anywhere. I love you and nothing is going to change that."

Alex nodded against his hand. She closed her eyes as he leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss. Dean remained with his forehead against Alex's after the kiss ended. "We're going to get you through this."

Alex flinched as the door clicked open and Dean turned his head towards the door. Theresa and Jerry entered the room both appearing exhausted. Theresa frowned when she noticed Alex's puffy eyes and dampened cheeks. "How are you doing, mija?"

"I'm okay." She whispered.

"Someone will be here in the next hour to transfer you to the psych floor." Theresa said.

"I want to go home." Alex told her mother.

Theresa smiled sadly as she walked to her daughter's side and placed a hand over Alex's hand. She noticed how cold her skin felt. "I know, mija, but you're very sick and you may have to stay here for some time."

"There's nothing wrong with me!" Alex shook her head. She couldn't stay here. They were going to take away her power. They would strip her of her control; the only control she felt she had left anymore.

"Alex, they've diagnosed you with Anorexia." Jerry spoke up softly. "You're starving yourself and you're very malnourished and dehydrated. You're anemic, it's starting to affect your heart. Your body collapsed because it can't handle the damage anymore. If you don't stop your organs will begin to shut down."

Alex remained silent.

"Sweetheart, why are you starving yourself? You're beautiful." Theresa squeezed her daughter's hand gently.

"Tell them what you told me." Dean said softly with an encouraging nod.

More tears sprang to Alex's frantic eyes as she shook her head again. "No, I can't."

"You've kept it a secret too long. You have to tell them." Dean's voice was soothing as he took Alex's free hand and intertwined their fingers. "It's okay."

"You can tell us anything, Alex." Jerry encouraged. His stomach was in knots. He didn't know how many secrets he could learn in one day.

Her eyes darted around the room. Her breathing hitched as her heart pounded in her chest. "I…I was…"

Dean saw her struggling for words. He reached up to brush a strand curl out of her smooth face. He had a feeling she had never actually admitted what had happened to her. "Hey, it's okay. You can say it."

Jerry and Theresa exchanged worried glances. They had just found out their daughter was starving herself, what more secrets could she possibly be hiding?

"I…was raped." Alex choked out. Her bottom lip quivered before the tears erupted from her pained eyes. Dean wrapped his arms around her again and pressed a kiss to her hairline. He wished there was something he could do to take away her pain.

Theresa gasped at her daughter's words, bringing a hand up to her dropped jaw. Her heart physically ached as she watched her daughter cry into Dean's shoulder. She felt like a failure. Her job as a mother was to protect her children and she had failed. Not only did she fail to notice her daughter was starving herself, but she failed to notice how badly she was hurting.

Jerry stood motionless. Nausea bubbled in his stomach as he tried to process his daughter's words. His jaw clenched and he tightened his fists by his side. Somebody had hurt his daughter; violated her in the worst way possible and they needed to pay. "Who did this to you?"

Alex kept her eyes glued to her trembling hands; refusing to meet the eyes of her parents. "M-Mason."

"I'm going to kill him." Jerry growled through gritted teeth.

Alex tensed in Dean's arms. Theresa noticed her daughter's increased fear at Jerry's reaction. "Jerry, you're scaring her."

"I'm sorry." His voice softened as he looked at his broken daughter. He hated himself right now. She had been suffering in more than one way and he continuously fought with her, failing to see that there was anything wrong.

"When did this happen?" Theresa asked. Was this the reason her daughter was starving herself? Was this what caused her to fall apart?

Alex hesitated and look up at Dean. This was all too much. She had kept this a secret for two months and now she was finding herself repeating it over and over. Dean pressed another kiss to her forehead and gently stroked her arm. "It's okay. You can tell them. Nobody is going anywhere."

She swallowed thickly and inhaled deeply. She finally looked up to her mother. "Two months ago…at a party. I only drank soda and things got blurry. I don't remember how, but I ended up in a bedroom and…h-he was there and I couldn't…I couldn't move."

Theresa closed her eyes as she brought a hand up to her forehead. "He drugged you?"

"I think. I didn't drink. I…I _don't_ drink, I've never touched alcohol, I swear. But there's stuff I don't remember and then I ended up in the bedroom and I saw him and I wanted to scream or run or _something_ , but I couldn't do anything." Sobs erupted from the trembling brunette once again as she recalled the worst night of her life.

Jerry felt physically ill by his daughter's words. The sight of her sobbing was more than he could handle. He had never seen her so broken. He didn't know how to solve this problem. When she was little and scraped her knee on the sidewalk, he would kiss it and put a band aid on it. When she was home sick, he would stay home watching her favorite movies. When she had a fight with Harper or an issue at school, he would take her out for pancakes. Even when she had her heart broken, he was able to cheer her up by buying her favorite ice cream. Somehow he didn't think watching movies or eating ice cream was going to help her this time. He wasn't sure there was solution to this problem.

The room was silent with the exception of Alex's cries for a brief moment. Nobody knew what to do or say. Alex wiped her at eyes, glanced up at Dean, and then looked back and forth between her mother and father. "I'm sorry. I can't…I can't even remember leaving my drink anywhere. I'm not…I didn't…"

"Alex, you do not need to apologize for anything. This is not your fault in any way." Theresa's voice was thick with sincerity as she looked into her daughter's tear filled eyes. "Have you been checked or tested?"

"I got tested for pregnancy and STDs after the pregnancy test came back unclear." Alex said. "This is why I took a pregnancy test."

Jerry's heart sank into his stomach. He hated himself for yelling at her. He only assumed it was a careless mistake; he never considered any other possibilities for a second. And yet she was completely blameless. "Everything was negative?"

Alex nodded. "Yes."

"It's good you were tested, but I think you also need to get checked."

Alex's breathing hitched. "No. Please."

"Alex, something could be wrong and…

"It happened two months ago! I'm fine!" Alex shouted frantically. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She didn't want anyone to touch her; the thought of a doctor examining her made her nauseous.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Dean met Alex's eyes as he squeezed her hand gently. He could see her getting worked up. "Nobody is going to hurt you. It's a good idea to have a doctor look at you to make sure there's nothing wrong. But why don't we just tell the doctor first and see what they say?"

Alex nodded reluctantly, too exhausted to put up a fight. "Okay."

 _Thanks for reading! Another big secret revealed. Hope you enjoyed. Review!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Alex flipped through the channels on the TV mounted on the wall. She stopped when she found the baseball game starting. Her eyes moved to the door when the sound of the knob turning met her ears. Her eyes darted towards the opening door to find her father entering.

Jerry smiled at his daughter as he closed the door behind him. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Alex shrugged. She was feeling horrible. She had been stuck in the hospital for almost five days and all she wanted to do was go home. "I'm okay."

"Mom was getting some coffee." Jerry said as he made his way to the chair by Alex's bed and took a seat. His eyes found the TV that projected the Met game. "Woah we've got the bases loaded?"

"And David Wright is up." Alex returned her attention to the TV. She and Jerry both leaned the slightest bit forward at the loud crack of that bat hitting the ball. "That looks good."

"Go, out…out…out…alright! Grand slam!" Jerry shouted enthusiastically, throwing his fists in the air with victory. He turned to Alex and lifted his hand up for a high five, which she granted with a small smile. "They're looking good this year. I'm feeling the playoffs."

"They've got a good team this season." Alex nodded as she watched the player high five his teammates. For a moment, everything seemed normal; she was watching the game with her dad. Then she remembered she was watching it in the hospital and nothing seemed normal.

"We should go to a game. We haven't been in a couple of years." Jerry suggested. He reminisced to when she was little and he'd take her to at least five games a year. Before she really understood what was going on, she counted the planes that flew over the stadium. Once she understood the game, she attempted to count that planes, but would always be distracted by the action on the field. Everything seemed so much simpler back then.

"I'd like that." Alex nodded.

Silence fell between the father and daughter. Jerry broke it after a moment. "I'm sorry I was yelling and fighting with you all the time."

Alex closed her eyes for a moment as she shook her head. "I wasn't easy and you didn't know anything."

"Yeah, but I should have known that something was wrong." The guilt had been eating him alive.

"Nobody knew because I didn't want anybody to know." Alex looked down, taking interest in her nails.

"Did you feel like you couldn't tell us?" Jerry asked. He felt like a failure as a dad. All of this had been going on for two months and he had no idea.

"No, it had nothing to do with you. I didn't even tell Dean or Harper. I didn't want anyone to know. The only reason I told Dean was because he thought I was cheating when he found out about the pregnancy test."

"Alex, you know this wasn't your fault, right? You have nothing to be ashamed about."

Tears glistened in Alex's eyes as she swallowed thickly. She remained silent, refusing to meet her father's eyes. Her reaction spoke louder than any words. Jerry's heart shattered. She was blaming herself. He opened his mouth to reply, but the door clicked open.

Theresa entered the room, nursing a cup of coffee. She smiled at her daughter and husband as she closed the door behind her. "It looks like you can go home tomorrow."

Alex's eyes lit up slightly.

"But you have to continue to recover at home. We're going to start you in an outpatient program. They'll be doing weekly check-ins on your vitals and weight. If your numbers get dangerous again, you'll have to come back here and then you'll be put in an inpatient program."

"Okay." Alex said with a hint of annoyance. "But I'm not talking about what happened…at the party."

Theresa sighed as she exchanged glances with her husband "Mija, what happened at the party is what led to the eating disorder. Regardless of the eating disorder, you need to talk about what happened. Your doctors suspect that you also have posttraumatic stress disorder."

"I should have never told you." Alex snapped bitterly.

"I'm not saying you have to go in your first visit and talk about every detail, but you have to start talking about it a little bit. You can talk about it at your own pace, but you can't keep everything bottled in. We're not doing this to upset you. You were severely hurt and traumatized." Theresa said gently.

"Talking about it isn't going to change what happened." Alex retorted through clenched teeth.

"You're not going to heal from the trauma or the eating disorder unless you talk about it."

"I think it's important to at least talk about your feelings." Jerry spoke up softly. "Like why you think it's your fault because it's not."

"Stop." Alex warned, her voice cracking.

"Alex, this is important. You…"

"I don't want to talk about it because I want to forget!" Alex shouted before a sob ripped through her lips.

Theresa had to hold back her own tears as she watched her daughter fall apart. She moved to her daughter's bedside, placing her coffee down on the nearby table, and taking Alex's hand in her own. "Oh Mija. I wish with all my heart that you could forget, but you and I both know that's not going to happen. It's okay to feel what you're feeling, but you can't keep it bottled in."

"I don't want to do this." She choked out. "I don't want to do any of this anymore."

Jerry peeled his eyes away from his daughter. The sight of her sobbing brokenly was too much for him to handle.

Theresa's heart physically ached for her daughter's suffering. She sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around Alex. "I know. You'll get through this."

Alex buried her face in her mother's chest, soaking her shirt with her tears. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, you have nothing to be sorry for." Theresa frowned as she rubbed Alex's arm soothingly.

Jerry shifted in his seat. He couldn't stand that she thought all of this was her fault. "Alex, I think we need to make it clear that you didn't cause any of this to happen. _You_ didn't do anything. This happened because of Mason."

Theresa felt Alex tense at the mention of her ex boyfriend's name. "Alex, are you blaming yourself for what happened?"

Alex pulled out of her mother's arm and wiped at her eyes. "I don't want to talk about this."

Theresa frowned as she reached up to push Alex's soft hair behind her ear. "Okay, but your father is right. You weren't responsible for what happened in any way."

Alex leaned back against the pillows propped up behind her. She ignored the words of her mother and returned her attention to the television.

Theresa exchanged concerned glances with her husband. They couldn't understand how they got where they were. Their happy, carefree daughter was broken and they didn't know how to fix her.

 _Thanks for reading! Not my favorite chapter, but hope you enjoyed. I apologize for the delay. The semester is kicking my butt, but I'll continue to try my hardest to get quicker updates. Review!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Alex opened her locker and retrieved the books she needed. A scoff met her ears and when she turned her head she saw Gigi and her minions snarling at her. She rolled her eyes and returned to her locker; maybe if she ignored them they would go away.

"I see you finally decided to return to school." Gigi started.

Alex slammed her locker shut and turned to face the blonde.

"Did Dean finally realize that you're worthless and break up with you? Were you hiding out for a week?"

"No he didn't." Dean said as he strolled towards the scene. He threw his arm around Alex's shoulder. "I didn't break up with her and I'm not planning on it because she's _not_ worthless. She's beautiful, passionate, caring, funny…the list keeps going."

A small smile found its way to Alex's lips at her boyfriend's words. She was so grateful for him.

"Keep telling yourself that." Gigi raised her eyebrows as she shot the couple a look of disgust.

"Get out of here, Gigi." Dean warned. He watched in amusement as Gigi huffed, spun around and strutted down the hall with her friends behind her. Dean looked at his girlfriend, pushing her dark curls behind her ear. "Are you okay?"

Alex nodded with a deep breath. "Thank you. I…I'm not really in the mood to deal with her."

"You shouldn't have to be." He said. His hand found hers and gave it a gentle squeeze as he gazed into her chocolate eyes. "You're not worthless, you know that right? I meant everything I said."

She blinked back tears. She didn't doubt Dean meant his words, but she _felt_ worthless. She didn't deserve the guy staring at her with love and concern in his eyes.

"Alex…" Her name fell from his lips with worry at her silent response. "You are _not_ worthless."

"Okay." She muttered, but by the crack in her voice Dean knew she wasn't convinced. He made a mental note to bring this up later; he didn't want to dig into this issue deeper two minutes before class started and risk her falling apart. He could tell she was struggling to keep herself together.

"I love you." He said before leaning down and softly kissing her lips.

"I love you too." She whispered as their lips disconnected. "I guess I should get to class."

They said their goodbyes before departing their separate ways. Alex managed to get through the first two periods smoothly. She was grateful that she had art next; the one class that she actually enjoyed. Harper was also in that class which made it all that much easier.

Alex entered the classroom and started for the seat she sat in every class. She stopped in her tracks and inhaled sharply as her eyes landed on the tall, chestnut colored hair male in the seat beside hers. He looked up and locked eyes with hers. A smile spread across his lips, displaying his dimples on his defined face; the dimples she once fell for. Her stomach lurched. She was paralyzed with fear. She blinked her eyes, praying that this was a nightmare. Somehow she knew it wasn't; that he was actually sitting on the stool with his eyes glancing up and down her trembling body.

"Hello Alex." His words fell from his lips so casually. His British accent made her stomach bubble with nausea; it used to make her heart melt.

Her throat felt like it was closing. She tried to move, but her limbs felt as though they were glued to the ground. She was back in that bedroom, pushed onto the bed roughly. His hands wandered her body hungrily, his lips on her neck, nipping at her delicate flesh.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Harpers angry voice brought her back to reality. The red head stormed towards Mason with aggression. Her fists were clenched by her side.

"Hello to you too, Harper." Mason replied with sarcasm. "My family moved back here."

Alex swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Her face had turned a ghostly shade of white. Her hands were clammy, yet her body felt so cold. She jerked away violently as a hand met her shoulder. She whipped her head to find it belonged to Harper.

Harper retracted her hand quickly. "I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?"

Alex looked at her friend, but didn't respond. She turned back to Mason, whose dark eyes were ogling her. Something in her snapped and ignited anger. She was angry; angry at what he had done, angry that he had stolen everything from her, angry that he was acting so casual, angry that he made her feel so terrified.

She stormed towards her stool and plopped her bag down. She spun on her heels to face Mason. "You're not sitting there."

"Of course I am." He chuckled, which only infuriated her further.

"No you're not. This is my seat and you are _not_ sitting next to me. So get your pathetic ass up and move someplace else." She spat furiously. Her heart was pounding and her legs were quivering, but she wasn't going display her fear to him.

"Don't be so cold, Alex. We had such a good time before I left." His lips turned up into a twisted smile; his eyes gleaming deviance.

Alex wanted to run out of the room and find a secluded place to curl up in a ball and cry. She refused to give him that power though. She swallowed the lump in her throat and hissed at him bitterly. "You mean when you drugged me?"

"I don't appreciate that accusation. You knew exactly what was going on that night. You wanted it." His smiled grew wider and it sickened Alex.

The façade she was wearing was beginning to deteriorate. The room was spinning. She felt herself losing her balance, but somehow Harper was by her side instantly and supported her.

Harper lowered Alex onto the stool. "Are you okay? Did you eat today?"

"Yes." Alex whispered angrily.

"Enough of this! Take your stuff and move." Harper demanded. She didn't give Mason a chance. Instead she took his books and threw them onto a stool on the other end of the classroom, furthest from Alex.

Mason stood reluctantly, but winked at Alex. "I'll move for now, but you can't stay away from me."

Alex spun herself around so she was facing the front of the room. She couldn't look at him anymore. She placed a hand over her stomach as another wave of nausea hit her. She chewed on her bottom lip as thought after thought raced through her mind. She was trying to fight the images flashing in her mind; Mason's pinning her to the hard bed, his hands gripping her wrists in a bruising hold, his teeth grazing her neck, his hands fumbling with the button on her jeans. Her pulse raced. Her breath shallowed. It was too much. It was all too much.

"Alex!" Harper called for the third time. She could tell Alex was lost in her thoughts and by her reaction she knew they were bad ones.

She whipped her head towards her friend, her shiny curls bouncing with her head. She took deep breaths, feeling her heartbeat gradually slow. She was grateful for Harper's intervention. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Are you okay?" Harper asked, her eyebrows knitting together.

Alex hated that question. She heard it a thousand times a day. She was far from okay, but she refused to admit it. So instead she ignored it. "Why is he here?"

"I don't know." Harper shrugged with a frown. She couldn't imagine what Alex was thinking and feeling right now. Harper was scared; scared of Mason's intentions and reasons for returning. This must have been terrifying and emotionally exhausting for Alex. "Mr. Laritate is here, maybe you should tell him what's going on."

"No!" Alex shouted louder than she intended. She shook her head and lowered her voice. "I'm not telling _anyone_ about _anything_ that's going on. You, Dean, and my family are the only people who are allowed to know."

"Okay." Harper nodded. Even if she didn't agree with her friend she would do what she wanted. "Do you want me to take a walk with you or get Dean?"

"No, I'm fine." She muttered. She wasn't fine and she wanted to be in Dean's safe arms more than anything, but she refused to leave. She refused to give Mason that power and satisfaction.

Mr. Laritate greeted Mason enthusiastically and welcomed him back to the school. Alex wanted to vomit every time she heard that British accent. She didn't know how she was going to get through this class. She didn't know how she was going to get through the rest of the day or school year with Mason here.

"Miss Russo, welcome back as well. Are you feeling better? I'm glad I got the flu shot. It's apparently going around." Mr. Laritate walked to the front of the room, smiling at Alex as he passed her stool.

"Yes, much better." She forced a smile at her teacher.

She struggled to pay attention to Mr. Laritate's art lecture. When it was time to paint, Alex stared blankly at the canvas in front of her. The assignment was to paint an object displaying the line techniques Mr. Laritate had spent fifteen minutes discussing. Alex was stuck; she couldn't find any inspiration to paint when her mind was racing with terrifying thoughts and uneasiness swam in the pit of her stomach.

"Why don't you paint something that will express your emotions or whatever you're thinking right now?" Harper suggested as she meticulously glided a thick paint brush across her canvas.

Alex nodded at her friend and stood suddenly. She grabbed her materials and dipped her brush into the paint. She spread the pigment across the canvas, pouring her mind onto it. She let herself get lost in her work as her brush stroked the canvas effortlessly. She dropped her brush in the cup of water when she finished and took a step back.

Harper peeled her eyes off her own finished work to look at Alex's. She smiled sadly as her eyes absorbed the tattered and bloody clothing scattered around the canvas. She could only assume it was Alex's tattered and bloody clothing from the night where everything had gone wrong.

Alex turned to bring her cup and brushes to the sink. She stopped in her tracks when her eyes caught Mason's painting; a can of cherry, vanilla Dr. Pepper being poured into a red solo cup. Her body went cold and she was paralyzed in her spot again- he seemed to have that effect on her lately. Her mind flashed back to the night of the party once again; bringing the red cup to her glossed lips and swallowing the cherry, vanilla beverage as she leaned against the wall. It wasn't a coincidence and she knew that. She knew he was messing with her head and he was succeeding. He knew what she was drinking that night, which means he must have been watching her. She had gotten her own drink that night. She grabbed the can from the cooler of drinks and grabbed one of the red cups that was stacked on the nearby table. She snapped the can open and tossed it in the nearby recycling. He must have been watching her closely, so closely that he knew the exact drink she had poured before she tossed the evidence.

The bell rang, startling Alex. The cup of water slipped from her grasp, crashing onto the tiles and splashing its contents. Mr. Laritate babbled about finishing projects at the beginning of next class as students quickly grabbed their items and began to leave the room.

Alex snapped out of her paralysis when she saw Harper spreading paper towels over the puddle. Alex squatted down and grabbed one of the sopping paper towels, bunching it up. "I'm sorry."

"What happened?" Harper asked and she placed another paper towel over the mess.

Alex opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly Mason was standing before her. He winked at the scared brunette. "See you later, Alex."

She watched as he strolled out of the room and she exhaled the breath she had been holding. It was just her and Harper in the room now and she was grateful for that. Her knees gave out from beneath her and she hit the ground gently. She brought her hands up to press her fingers against her temples.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Harper offered, wiping up the last of the spill.

"His painting…it's the exact drink I had that night." Alex shut her eyes tightly to stop the tears from forming. She shot them open several seconds later after images of Mason floated behind her eyelids.

Harper found the painting Alex was referencing. It sickened her that he was doing this to mess with Alex. "Maybe you should report him to the police."

"No!" Alex's shouted as her eyes widened frantically. "I told you nobody is to know about anything!"

"But they can help you." Harper's said cautiously.

"No they can't. It would be my word against his. And what do you think he's going to do when he finds out I reported him? He'll come after me or worse my family and what happens if they go after him? He'll just turn into werewolf." Alex ranted agitatedly. She pinched the bridge of her nose before planting her feet on the floor and standing up.

Harper straightened her legs so she was standing too and tossed the wet paper towels in the garbage. "Is there some kind of wizard council you could report him too?"

"It's still my word against his and he'll still come after me. I'm not reporting him to anyone." She said adamantly. Her heels clicked against the hard floor as she walked back to her stool to gather her belongings.

"Okay." Harper said quietly. She had no other response. She was going to do whatever her friend wanted because she already had too many choices taken from her. "Do you need me to do anything? Hang out in here with you or take you home or get Dean?"

Alex shook her head and quickly wiped at the single tear that escaped her eye. "No, I have to get to my next class. Thank you for everything. You've been great through this all. You're a good friend. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

"Okay. Text me if you need anything." Harper said as she watched her friend walk out of the classroom.

Alex was relieved when she discovered Mason wasn't in her next class. However, that was all she could think about during the class period. She wanted to know what his intentions were for returning? Was he after her or did his family just coincidentally move back? Something was telling her it wasn't a coincidence.

* * *

Alex's heart raced her in her chest as she walked through the halls. Her eyes scanned the hallways carefully for Mason. She managed to make it to her locker and the cafeteria without seeing him.

Alex spotted Harper standing on the lunch line. She walked over to her friend, greeting her as she stood beside her. She didn't see Dean yet and she was not sitting at the table alone. She feared Mason would find her.

"Would you mind holding this for a second? I'm trying to find my wallet." Harper said as she held her tray of food out towards Alex.

Alex nodded and took the tray in her trembling hands. She watched as Harper shifted her bag on her hip and dug through its contents. A large hand met her arm. A startled gasp escaped her lips as her body jolted away from the touch. The tray slipped from her grasp and the tacos and rice tumbled to the ground. The taco shell cracked as it hit the ground shattering upon the meat and mixing with the scattered rice.

"I didn't mean to scare you." Dean looked at his girlfriend with concerned eyes, still shocked at what had just happened.

"Oh my god, Harper. I'm so sorry." Alex cried as she quickly kneeled to the floor to clean up her mess.

"Alex, it's okay. I can just get another one." Harper watched her friend clean up the food frantically. She met Dean's eyes and they silently exchanged concerns for the brunette.

The school janitor arrived with a broom and pan and politely dismissed Alex. She apologized profusely, but he reassured her that it was okay. She then offered to get Harper's lunch and pay for it, but Harper insisted that she didn't need to do that and that Alex needed to sit and calm down.

Dean walked with Alex to their usual table and took a seat beside her. "Is everything okay? You seem…extra jumpy."

Alex's eyes jumped around the cafeteria before settling on Dean. She chewed on her lip. "I…um…. Mason…h-he's back."

"What do you mean he's back?" Dean's jaw tightened.

"He's back here at Tribeca Prep. He claims his family moved back." She fiddled with the ring on her finger.

"Did he come near you? Did he say anything to you?"

Alex hesitated as her eyes casted down to her hands. "He's uh…in my art class."

Dean clenched his fists. He knew she was hiding something. "What happened?"

"He was just messing with my head. He was telling me we had a good time before he left and that I…wanted it. But he painted this picture of a cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper…" Alex's voice trailed off as a shudder ran up her spine.

Dean closed his eyes for a moment. That was Alex's favorite drink and the one she had been drinking at the party. He recalled her getting excited when she spotted the drink in a cooler of assorted drinks. The memory made him realize that he hadn't seen her drink the beverage since that night and he knew why now. "I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."

Harper took a seat across from Alex. She could tell by Dean's words that he found out about Mason's return.

"No you can't go after him. That'll make things worse. And you have to remember that he's a werewolf, he could seriously hurt you." Alex panicked at just the thought of Dean getting hurt.

"Maybe we should…" Dean began, but was interjected by his girlfriend.

"If you're going to say report him or tell Mr. Laritate or someone else the answer is no." Alex said tightly. "I already had this conversation with Harper and I'm not having it again."

"Okay." Dean whispered because he didn't want to push her, especially not in the middle of school. The three were silent for a few moments. Dean noticed Alex's lunch bag had not been opened. "Alex, you have to eat."

"I can't. I'm nauseous." She muttered. It wasn't a lie. She had been nauseous since she saw Mason's smug smirk as he sat on the art stool.

Dean sighed and reached for the brown bag. He pulled out its contents and unwrapped the aluminum foil. He slid the peanut butter and jelly sandwich in front of Alex. "Just eat half."

Alex pressed her lips together. "I'm going to puke if I eat."

"You're going to go back to the hospital if you don't eat." Harper countered.

Alex narrowed her eyes at her friend and opened her mouth to speak. The words escaped when she saw Harper's eyes widened and felt the seat beside her shift. An arm wrapped around her shoulder. Her breath got caught in her throat and her body tensed. She shrugged him off, but he squeezed her shoulder roughly. She winced at his grip. "Get off me."

Dean was on his feet in seconds. He grabbed Mason by the back of his shirt and tore him off the seat. The vein in his neck throbbed. His teeth were clenched tightly. He saw red; utter rage for all the pain and suffering Alex had to deal with because of him. He pulled his arm back before colliding his fist with Mason's face.

Mason was quick to react. His face contorted into fury. His eyes squinted at Dean. They gleamed with hatred. His hands grasped Dean's shoulders. He pushed at him hard. Dean sent a punch to Mason's abdomen.

Alex gasped as she watched the scene unfold before her. She stood on trembling legs, but felt helpless as she watched the two males fight. "Dean stop!"

Her words fell on deaf ears. Her chest tightened. "Dean please stop! It's not worth it."

"Break it up! Break it up!" Mr. Laritate shouted as he pulled Dean back from Mason. "What is going on here?"

"He attacked me out of nowhere!" Mason accused, pointing a finger at Dean. The rest of the cafeteria was silent as everyone watched the scene.

"He…" Dean started, but paused as his eyes looked towards Alex.

"Don't." She choked out. It was taking everything in her to hold her tears back right now. She couldn't cry here, especially with everyone watching.

"He was annoying Alex." Dean said with a hint of defeat in his voice. He wanted to reveal her secret; to let everyone know how awful of a person Mason was, but he would never betray Alex.

"My office now, Mr. Moriarty!" Mr. Laritate shouted. "I'll talk to you later, Mason."

"No, I can't leave her here." Dean nodded towards Alex worriedly. He feared Mason would go after her without him there.

"I believe Miss Russo can survive without you for a few minutes." Mr. Laritate replied bitterly.

Dean looked at Harper and she nodded her head. The two seemed to understand each other without any words often lately. He reluctantly walked out of the cafeteria with the principal. Somehow punching Mason didn't make him feel much better.

"You've got a real winner there, huh Alex?" Mason taunted.

"Go away, Mason!" She barked harshly.

He closed the distance between them so he was looming above her. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Is that anyway to speak to the guy you gave your virginity to?"

She felt his hot breath against her neck. Her stomach lurched. Her muscles tensed. She swore she could hear her own heart beating as it raced in her chest like a marathon runner. Harper yelled at Mason, but Alex couldn't make out her words. She couldn't focus on anything except that Mason was too close to her. She hated that he did this to her; that he had this power over her. She gritted her teeth, but refused to meet his eyes. "I didn't give it to you, you _stole_ it."

Alex stormed out of the cafeteria, her heels clicking loudly as she disappeared through the corridor doors. Harper glared furiously at Mason as she gathered Alex's lunch and her own belongings. "Haven't you done enough to her? Can't you just leave her alone?"

Mason opened his mouth, but Harper didn't wait for a response. She followed the tracks of Alex out of the cafeteria. She searched the school for her friend and finally found her sitting in the art room. She opened the door and stepped in quietly. She smiled sadly at Alex who sat on the stool with her feet resting on the bar and her head hung down.

Alex lifted her head as the sound of the door clicking open. She held her breath, but released it in relief when she saw Harper standing before the door. Her eyes moved to the brown paper bag in her left hand. "Are you here to force me to eat?"

Harper followed her eyes to the bag and shook her head. "No. I would like you to eat, but I came to check on you. Make sure that you were okay."

"Nothing is okay." She whispered as her eyes returned to fumbling hands.

Harper frowned and took a seat on the stool beside Alex. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Alex shook her head. She couldn't talk about it. Talking about it would lead to crying and she couldn't do that here. Harper knew Alex was bottling in her feelings, but she didn't want to push her. So she sat there, her presence silently comforting Alex.

 _Uh oh- drama ensues...Thanks for reading! Review!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Alex entered the house to find her brother sitting on the living room couch with his eyes glued to the television. He peeled his eyes off the screen and took in Alex's broken and fearful appearance. He instantly knew that something had happened on her first day back at school and he feared to find out what it was. "Hey."

"Hi." She muttered. Her eyes glanced around the room before they settled back on Justin. "Aren't you supposed to be at the Sub Station?"

"Max was working today. Mom and Dad wanted me to wait for you to come home." He replied. He watched as his sister nodded her head and started for the stairs. "How was school?"

"Fine." Her voice cracked, betraying her.

"Alex." Justin sighed. He shifted on the couch and patted the spot beside him. "Come sit down and tell me what really happened."

Alex reluctantly moved to the couch and sat beside her brother. "It sucked, okay?"

"What happened?" He asked softly.

"It just sucked!" Her voice increased in volume as she grew annoyed.

"Where's Dean? Wasn't he supposed to come home with you?" Justin asked in attempt to pry more information from his stubborn sister. He concluded Dean's absence was related to why her day sucked.

"He has detention. He got in a fight."

Justin burrowed his eyebrows. He feared where this conversation was going. Did Dean get into a fight to protect Alex? Did someone find something out and say something to her? "Who did he get in a fight with?"

Alex met her brother's eyes. "Mason."

The color drained from Justin's face. "Wh-what? Mason? He's back? He's here?"

"Yes." She whispered. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Did he hurt you? Did he say something to you?" Justin's mind was jumping to a million different conclusions.

Alex hesitated before she recounted the events: her art class, his painting, and the fight. A tear escaped her eye and she wiped at it furiously. She couldn't cry in front of her brother. Her lower lips began to quiver though and it was only seconds before the tears bubbled in her eyes burst. "I'm sorry."

Justin felt a tear in his heart at the sight of his little sister crying. He wanted to find Mason and beat him until he as begging for mercy. He had hurt his sister and that was not okay. But right now his sister needed him. He shifted closer to her and wrapped his arm around her. She rested her head against his shoulder, letting her tears splash against his shirt.

He swore in that moment that he would do everything in his power to fix her. He missed her laugh. He missed her sarcasm. He missed her cunning pranks. He would give anything to hear her make fun of him again.

He placed his hand on her back and rubbed soothing circles. He cringed as his fingers felt practically every bone of her spine. He couldn't understand how they had all missed that something was wrong. She had been suffering tremendously and somehow she managed to hide that for so long. "You don't have to apologize for anything."

"Justin, I'm scared." She admitted huskily against his chest.

Justin closed his eyes for a moment. Her words reminded him of when she was little and would drag herself into his room when she had nightmares. Alex was rarely scared and almost never admitted it. He felt like he had failed at his role of older brother. He was supposed to protect her and he didn't. This wasn't one of those times that she was in trouble and ran to him for help and he found some way to fix it. No, this time he had no way of fixing things. Mason had broken her and he was pretty sure the damage was irreversible.

"It's normal to be scared, Alex. You're allowed to be scared." His voice was soothing.

She lifted her head from his chest and met his eyes. "I feel like he came back for me. I feel like he's planning something and it scares me."

"No, I wouldn't let that happen." He shook his head as he looked into her hopeless, tear filled eyes. "I'm not letting him hurt you again"

She nodded, but her eyes told him she wasn't convinced. Her eyes moved to the stairs at the sound of approaching footsteps. The tiniest of smiles found her lips as Dean appeared at the top of the steps. He walked over to the couch and a small gasp escaped Alex's lips. "Dean, your face…"

"I'm fine, it doesn't even hurt." He said

Alex stood and ran her thumb gently over the swirl of blue and purple beneath his left eye. She felt as though she caused the bruise; he fought Mason to protect her. "You…you shouldn't have done that."

"I wasn't just going to sit there and let him touch 1you." Dean's voice raised an octave as his pulse boiled at the thought of Mason touching her.

"What did you tell Mr. Laritate?" She asked.

"Just that he wouldn't leave you alone and that he was touching you after you told him to get off."

Justin swallowed the growl that rose in his throat. He wished he had been there to beat Mason up too.

"What did he say? Did Mason get in trouble too?" Alex felt guilty that Dean was protecting her and he couldn't even fully explain his reasons to the principal, but there was no way she was letting anyone else find out about this.

"Well he slightly understood at first and told me it was still inappropriate and he would have to punish me. But then he spoke to Mason who apparently was very convincing in saying he would never cause trouble especially on his first day back and that he was just catching up with you and I was being an overly jealous boyfriend." Dean's jaw tightened as he recalled the earlier events of the day. "I have a week of detention. Mason only had today because he was protecting himself."

"That son of a bitch." Justin couldn't help the growl that escaped his lips this time.

Alex's shoulders dropped. "This is why _nobody_ is to find out what happened."

"Alex…" Dean sighed, reaching out to hold one of her hands. It didn't go unnoticed that her hand felt like it had been soaking in a bucket of ice water for hours. "Maybe if you just told Mr. Laritate he could change Mason's classes and be aware that he shouldn't be near you."

Alex retracted her hand from Dean's. Her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed at him. "No! You just told me he believed Mason over you. Mason is going to be just as convincing. Mason doesn't get in trouble. I don't have the best record with Mr. Laritate so who do you think he's going to believe?"

"Alex…" Dean started softly.

"It's not happening. End of story. I already told you this." She threw her hands in the air exasperatedly. She moved to push passed him, but her vision blurred. Black spots flashed behind her eye lids. She was suddenly hot, yet goosebumps appeared on her skin. Her knees buckled. She started to fall, but Dean was there in an instant to catch her in his strong arms. Justin gasped as he jumped to his feet.

Dean slowly lowered her to the couch. He sat beside her, keeping his arm around her tiny waist. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She whispered gravelly.

"Did you eat today?" Justin asked.

Dean remember she was refusing to eat her lunch before he fought with Mason. "You never ate your lunch, did you?"

Alex failed to meet Dean or Justin's eyes. She remained silent. She used to be so good at lying, but she knew if she tried to form one they would see right through it. She flinched when Justin moved, walking into the kitchen. He returned seconds later with a sleeve of crackers and a bottle of water. He held them out to her. "You have to eat."

She glared at him and remained still. "I ate this morning."

"That was over six hours ago and an apple and slice of toast is not enough to get you through the day." Justin kept his arm stretched towards Alex with the crackers and water. She still didn't budge. "Alex, you just almost collapsed. That's your body's way of telling you it desperately needs food."

"Just have a few right now and you can take a break." Dean's voice was on the verge of pleading as he gently rubbed her arm.

"Or I can go get Mom and Dad and they can take you back to the hospital to get tube fed. That's where your headed again if you don't start eating." Justin hated that he had to be stern with her when she was in such a fragile state, but he needed her to understand how serious this was.

Alex hesitated before snatching the sleeve and bottle from her brother's hand. She was not going back to that hospital. She opened the sleeve and pulled out one of the saltine crackers. She ran her finger over the coarse salt, letting it prickle her skin. She examined the piece of food, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Her stomach grumbled, begging for food, but her mind was convincing her not to give in. Her stomach growling was satisfying. She was in control; she was creating that feeling.

Dean watched her silently, but impatiently. She finally brought the cracker to her and nibbled on it. He released the breath he didn't know he was holding. He moved his hand from her arm and placed it on her leg, squeezing it softly. "Thank you."

"Just start with five and then you can take a small break." Justin said, recalling the words of the nutritionist. One of the techniques she had told them was to start with small increments of food.

Alex reluctantly brought the cracker back to her mouth. She slipped it into her mouth and counted her bites-one, two, three, four, five; the more she chewed, the less calories she would ingest. She finally finished the five crackers. Her stomach pleaded for more, but she refused to give in. She had the control to fight and she refused to relinquish that power.

"Good. You can take a small break now, but in ten minutes I want you to eat another five." Justin told his sister.

Alex felt her control slipping from her grasp. He was taking it away and that was something she couldn't handle. Guilt swam in the pit of her stomach; she needed to get rid of the crackers. "No!"

Justin and Dean were both taken aback by Alex's reaction. Dean noticed Alex's chest beginning to heave up and down. He patted her leg gently. "Hey, it's okay. Just five more and then you can be done until dinner."

Her heart fluttered rapidly. Sweat beaded on her forehead. She clutched her tightening chest. "No, no. I can't do this."

Justin and Dean caught one another's concerned eyes. Justin sat on other end of his sister and placed a hand on her arm. He retracted it immediately when she flinched at his touch. He could hear her breathing growing heavier and heavier. "Alex, calm down."

She felt like she had no control. She was back in that room; rough hands pushing her onto the bed. He pulled his shirt off and crawled on top of her, straddling her waist. His lips found her neck, nipping at her flesh. She wanted to tell him to stop, to get off her, that he was hurting her, but her jaw wouldn't move; her mouth wouldn't form words. His hand slipped beneath her shirt and snaked up to unclasp her bra. His hand slithered down her stomach, stopping at the waistband of her jeans. He unbuttoned them and slid them down her legs. Her mind was screaming to kick him, push him away, but her muscles wouldn't move. His fingers slipped beneath the waistband of her underwear.

"No, get off me!" Alex screamed. She buried her head in her hands.

"Alex!" Dean called out, but she continued to tremble and breathe heavily.

He pulled off her underwear. His weight suddenly left her and relief washed over her. That relief vanished as quickly as it came as the sound of a zipper met her ears. He was back on top of her, crushing her small body. She wanted to scream, she wanted to fight, but no matter how hard she tried she could not move. It felt like a dream; when you scream, but nothing seems to actually come out and nobody can hear you. His hands were suddenly on her, touching her in places she didn't want.

"No, stop it! Please stop!" She pleaded desperately.

"I think she's having a flashback." Justin whispered nervously. He recalled learning about trauma victims having flashbacks in a psychology class. He watched his sister whimper; she was in her own world living her own nightmare.

"Alex, you're okay. You're safe." Dean said softly. He wanted to pull her in his arms and hold her, but he feared touching her while she was in this state would make things worse.

"Dean." Alex choked out. She kept her head buried in her hands. Her fingers gripped her hair tightly. "Make him stop. Get him off me."

Justin was fuming and heartbroken at the same time. He was furious that someone had done this to her and watching her suffer was heartbreaking. She had survived something so terrible and now she had to relive it.

Dean blinked back tears as he watched his girlfriend struggle to separate the past and present. "He's not there, Alex. You're safe. You're at home in your living room."

Alex heard Dean's words, but she was still in the bedroom. His hands were still all over her. "N-no. He's hurting me. Tell him to stop. I don't want to do this."

Justin fidgeted in his seat. He swore in that moment that somehow, someway he was going to make Mason pay for what he did to his sister.

"Alex, look at me. You're safe, I promise. I'm right here." Dean said softly. "Please just look at me."

Alex lifted her head from her hands and blinked rapidly as she turned her head to look at Dean. Her eyes scanned the room before settling back on Dean. She was home.

"See, you're home, you're safe." Dean reminded. He could tell she had had broken away from the flashback, but her eyes were still filled with terror. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Her lower lip quivered and her eyes shone with unshed tears. "No."

Dean held his arms open and she collapsed into them as she let out a sob. He held her tightly, never wanting to let her go. She buried her face into his chest and her fingers reached up to grip his shirt. His fingers danced in her soft curls. He pressed a ginger kiss to the top of her head. "You're okay. I've got you. You're safe."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The clicking of heels echoed through the room as Alex entered the school bathroom. She quickly scanned the bottom of the stalls and felt relieved to find it empty. She threw open the door to one of the stalls and flung her bag on the hook. She kneeled before the toilet, gathered her hair back, and shoved two fingers to the back of her throat. Her entire body heaved as the contents of her stomach spilled into the toilet.

She hated throwing up. It was such as awful feeling, but she needed to get rid of the calories. Dean and Harper refused to leave her side for even a second during lunch, both fearing that she would make her food disappear somehow without actually eating it. So she was forced to eat it and sit there for the rest of lunch so they wouldn't get suspicious.

She planted her trembling legs on the floor and stood. Her eyes lingered at the substance in the toilet for a moment, relieved that it was no longer in her stomach. She inhaled shakily before flushing the toilet. Her trembling legs stepped out to the sinks, where she washed her hands and rinsed her mouth. She lifted her head to meet her reflection in the mirror. She swallowed thickly as she blinked back tears; she was disgusted by herself.

She peeled her eyes away from the mirror as the door swung open. Two giggling girls walked in, snapping Alex out of her thoughts. She avoided their eyes and left the bathroom. A startled gasp slipped from her lips as a large hand wrapped around her wrist and stopped her in her tracks. The hand pulled her towards its owner. Her body went cold as her eyes met Mason's.

"Hello Alex." He flashed a smile at her.

Her stomach lurched. She gritted her teeth. "Let go of me."

"Where are your bodyguards?" He asked as he tightened his grip on her wrist.

She knew he was referring to Dean and Harper, who were practically by her side at all times of the school day ever since Mason's return last week. Of course, he had managed to catch her the one time she was alone and decided to run to the bathroom.

Alex glanced down at his hand. Her wrist began to throb from his hold. She tried to pull away but somehow he managed to clench it tighter. "You're hurting me."

The late bell rang. The hallway was eerily quiet; no wandering students. He shoved her against the lockers causing the locks to rattle. Alex whimpered at the impact. His hand remained on her wrist and the other arm leaned across her neck. His face was inches from hers. "Don't be such a baby."

Alex swore she heard her own heart beat beating. She pushed at his chest with her free hand, but he didn't budge. She reached up to claw at his face, but he twisted her other wrist painfully. Her knees buckled and she inhaled sharply. "Get away from me."

He dipped his head down so his lips were brushing against her ear. "You know you always walk around here acting fearless and so powerful, but you're really a weak coward."

Her heart pumped faster- something she didn't think was possible. Tears brimmed in her vision, but she blinked them back. She couldn't give him the satisfaction of crying. She squirmed against the lockers as his lips met her neck. She tried to knee him, but he was quick to push his body against hers, trapping her in her spot. "Stop. Get off me or I'll scream."

His lips disconnected from her skin. His eyes burned into hers. "Go ahead. Nobody will believe what you say. You're an annoying, lying bitch. You go around looking for trouble. All I have to do is tell Mr. Laritate that you were trying to get revenge on me for getting your precious boy toy in trouble. And do I have to remind you that I'm a werewolf? I can get away with anything and I can always find you because I will _always_ remember your scent."

Alex swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Her stomach flipped on repeat. She was pretty sure her heart was about to rip open her chest at the rate it was beating.

Heels approached in the distant. Mason froze for a moment as the clicking grew louder. He narrowed his eyes at Alex before releasing his grip on her. He pointed his index finger at her. "This isn't over."

She watched him storm down the hall through her tears. Her heart ached from the speed it was pumping at. She lifted her wrist and flexed it slowly, wincing as she did so. Her wrist was angry red from where his hand had been and she could faintly see a bruise beginning to form.

The footsteps were feet away now. Alex lifted her head to find her English teacher rounding the corner. The middle-aged blonde raised an eyebrow. "Miss Russo, shouldn't you be in class?"

"Just grabbing a book from my locker." Alex lied, mentally cursing herself at how weak her voice sounded.

"Stay out of trouble please." The woman rolled her eyes with an annoyed sigh before she continued down the hall.

She needed to get out of here. She needed to get away from here, from _him_. She found herself pushing through the doors and leaving the school. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew it was far away from Mason. She found herself at a nearby park.

His words replayed in her head. _I will always remember your scent._ She couldn't hide from him. He would always be able to find her. She felt like there was a stampede in her chest. Her breath got caught in her throat. She collapsed onto a nearby bench, clutching her chest. Her vision blurred. Her lungs screamed for oxygen.

"Miss, are you okay?"

Alex whipped her head towards the concerned blonde standing beside a baby stroller. She inhaled deeply as she nodded her head. "I'm…I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Do you need to call someone?" The mother could see the terror in the young brunette's eyes.

Alex shook her head. She forced a smile that failed to meet her eyes. "No, I'm okay. Thanks."

The blonde smiled warmly at Alex. She started to push the stroller before her. "Have a good day."

"Thanks, you too." Alex whispered as she watched the woman walk away. Her eyes scanned the park. Multiple people were walking or jogging with their dogs. Mothers sat on the benches, cradling babies or talking to other mothers. Children climbed the playground as they laughed and squealed innocently. She envied the care freeness in which those children played; she envied their innocence and naivety. She didn't understand how life became so hard.

She closed her eyes for a moment as she felt tears sting her eyelids. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she mentally scolded herself. What was wrong with her? She could barely keep herself together anymore. She felt like she constantly cried. She took a deep breath again, trying to remember what it felt like to be safe and carefree like the kids on the playground.

 _Thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay- the end of the semester was kicking my butt and I've been dealing with some health problems. Hope everyone had a great holiday!_

 _Review!_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Alex's eyes shot open. She sat up quickly, clutching her chest. Her heart hammered inside. Her breath was shallow. Her eyes darted around the dark room. She reached over to her nightstand to turn on the lamp. Her eyes squinted as the bright light illuminated her bedroom. _Her bedroom._ She was safe at home in her own bed.

Images from her dream flashed through her mind. She brought her fingers up to her temples, gently massaging them. Her breath began to even out, but her stomach was still twisted in knots. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand; 4:23 am. After throwing the covers off her body, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and planted her feet on the carpet. Quietly, she made her way downstairs, grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator, and pulled herself onto one of the island stools. She took a sip of the water, letting the cold liquid coat her dry throat.

Her head whipped towards the sound of approaching footsteps. Her tense muscles relaxed slightly when saw Justin descending the stairs. His eyebrows burrowed and his face contorted with concern when he saw his sister. "Hey, what are you doing up?"

"Just needed some water." She whispered as she held up the bottle. "Did I wake you?"

"No, no. I was thirsty myself." He said as he pulled open the fridge and grabbed himself a water bottle. "Are you okay?"

She nodded her head, but failed to meet his eyes. "I just had a nightmare."

He frowned. "What was it about?"

"I'd rather not talk about it." Alex said as she brought her hand up to push her hair behind her ear.

Justin's eyes widened as he caught sight of the bruise on her wrist. He walked over to the island across from where she was sitting. "What is on your wrist?"

Alex froze for a moment. She had been wearing long sleeves ever since Mason left that mark on her four days ago, but her pajama top was short sleeved, easily exposing his damage. "I just bumped it into the banister."

Justin reached across the island to take her hand in his. He turned her hand over to examine the hues of blue and purple painted over her delicate skin. "Alex, the truth please. Did someone do this to you?"

She met her brother's concerned eyes and she felt her own bubble with tears. "H-he cornered me at school the other day."

"Mason?" Justin asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

Alex nodded. "I went to the bathroom right before class started and he was there when I came out and then the bell rang and nobody was around."

Justin was trying to remain calm for the sake of his sister, but his blood was boiling. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing." She muttered.

"Alex, this is not nothing." He pointed at her wrist furiously. "What did he do to you?"

Alex hesitated, shifting in her seat. "He grabbed me and pushed me into the lockers and he…"

"He what?" Justin encouraged her to continue when her voice trailed off.

"Kissed my neck." She mumbled as she inspected her cuticles.

Justin slammed his fist on the island. He regretting his act of fury when he saw it startled Alex. His featured softened. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. He has to stay away from you. We have to do something."

"There's nothing to do." She whispered dejectedly. "Go back to bed. I didn't mean to keep you up."

"No, I'm not going to just leave you here. Especially that you're upset."

"Justin, I do this every night. I'm used to it."

His heart sank. "You have bruises. That's proof to get him in trouble and…"

"Stop." She interjected sternly. "There's no proof, okay? Nobody will believe me and even if they did, he'll just turn himself in a werewolf."

"There has to be _something_ we can do to keep him away from you. Maybe some kind of spell or something." Justin was determined to keep her safe; he couldn't let her get hurt again.

"There isn't." She hissed.

Justin burrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Alex with disbelief. "Where's the girl who never gave up, who never backed down from a fight?"

"She's gone, Justin!" Her voice cracked and her eyes glistened. She swallowed the lump in the back of her throat.

Silence fell between the two siblings. Justin couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that this was happening; that this was happening to _them_. This was something you saw on TV, in the movies, on the news, _not to them_. He wanted to go back in time. He wanted to stop Alex from ever dating Mason in the first place. He knew Mason was up to no good the day Alex introduced him to the family. His suspicions were only confirmed when Mason confessed his love for Juliet and then went on to practically attack them. He had been relieved when Mason was turned into a wolf. Alex's heart was broken, but she would move on and find someone she deserved so much more than Mason. He was devastated when they found Mason and Alex took him back, but she was happy until she temporarily dropped out of the wizard competition and they were forced to be friends. And then Dean returned and Mason's possessive and dangerous behavior made a return. When he attacked Dean, Alex distanced herself from him especially as her relationship grew stronger with Dean. Mason was furious when Alex announced she was back together with Dean and that's when she ended her friendship with Mason. He had shown so many signs that he was no good, but Justin failed to see just how dangerous he was.

"You're going to be okay." Justin told her, although part of it was to convince himself. He pointed at the bruise on her wrist. "Does Dean know about this?"

Alex shook her head. "I'd rather him not know. I try not to tell him when he bothers me because I'm afraid Dean is going to go after him."

Justin didn't doubt Alex's fear. Dean was just as protective over Alex as he was and they both were out for blood. Her words replayed in his head. _When he bothers me._ Was this not just an occasional circumstance? "He bothers you? As in more than once?"

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose. What had she done? "No…I mean yes, but not like that."

"Like what then? What does he do?" Justin shifted his weight.

"Do we have to do this now? It's four in the morning." She changed the subject; she didn't want to talk about this anymore. She hadn't wanted to talk about it at all, but she knew Justin wouldn't stop until he received answers.

"Yes we have to do this now." He replied sternly. "I don't care what time it is. This is important. What does he do to you?"

She swallowed thickly, focusing her eyes on her water bottle that stood on the island. "It's not usually as bad as the time in hall. I'm not usually alone so he knows he can't touch me then. He usually just gets close or makes comments. Mostly when Harper is around instead of Dean."

"Usually?" Justin asked as his eyebrows rose to his hairline.

Alex hesitated. She hated that he was asking so many questions. "I'm not usually alone, but besides this time there have been a few times he's caught me alone. He'll grab my wrist or shoulder and try to touch me, but he's never taken it as far as he did when he gave me the bruise. The bell rang that day and there was no one around."

Justin inhaled deeply in attempt to control the anger rising in his chest. "And what kind of comments does he make?"

"Justin…" Alex sighed with annoyance.

"No, I need to know." He demanded.

She was too exhausted to fight. "He tells me I'm weak and powerless, that I'm a slut, that nobody would ever believe me. He brings up…that night a lot and tells me that we had fun and that I…that I wanted it."

She choked out the last words and Justin's shoulder dropped when he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. "You know that's not true, right?"

When her eyes met his, they told him she was unconvinced by his words. She hadn't wanted it, she knew that, but she couldn't help but think that she made him believe she wanted it. There must have been something she did to lead him on. She shouldn't have gone to that party. She shouldn't have fought with Dean. She should have worn a shirt that wasn't low. She should have kept her eyes glued to her drink the entire time. There were so many things she could have done to avoid this. There were so many things that she could have done differently that may not have led to the same outcome. And yet she did go to that party, she did fight with Dean, she did wear a low cut shirt, she did take her eyes off her drink; so how was she not at fault for what happened?

* * *

Alex sat on the couch, her knees drawn up on the couch with a fleece blanket resting over her legs and waist. She flipped through the channels in an attempt to find something to watch that would distract her dangerous thoughts. She peeled her eyes off the screen at the sound of approaching footsteps. A small smile found her lips when she saw Dean appear at the top of the steps. "Hey."

"Hello beautiful." He smiled as he walked towards the couch. He bent down to press a kiss to her lips before sitting beside her. "I saw Justin in the Sub Station. He told me you didn't sleep well last night."

Alex shrugged. "It's not like it's anything new."

"You haven't been sleeping well?" He asked.

"Not since…that night." She whispered, failing to meet his eyes.

Dean frowned. He reached over to intertwine his fingers with hers. "You get nightmares?"

Alex nodded her head. She dreaded sleep every night because it meant reliving the worst experience of her life. The dreams haunted her every night and she often woke up in a panic, forcing herself to realize that she wasn't actually in that awful bedroom again.

"Justin also said you had something to tell me." Dean mentioned casually. He attempted to get the information out of Justin himself, but Justin didn't want to betray Alex's trust.

"I'm going to kill him." Alex muttered through clenched teeth. She hesitated before meeting Dean's concerned eyes. "I'll tell you, but promise you won't get mad."

He squeezed her hand gently. "I promise."

Alex bit her lower lip as she pulled her hand away from Dean's grasp. She slid the sleeve of her sweatshirt to her forearm, revealing the deep blue and purple welts painted on her wrist.

Dean inhaled sharply as he moved closer to examine the marks on her wrist. He was hoping, wishing that she had fallen on it or bumped it into something, but the hand shaped bruise was telling him that someone _gave_ her that mark. "What happened?"

"M-Mason caught me in the hallway alone a few days ago." She whispered shakily, watching as Dean gently ran his thumb over her wrist.

"That son of a bitch." He growled furiously as he clenched his jaw. "I'm going to kill…"

"You promised me you wouldn't get mad." Alex interjected.

Dean took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. He slid his hand so it was resting on her leg. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Mason. Mad that he did this to you, that he hurt you and continues to do so."

"I just don't want you to do anything stupid like go after him. It'll only make things worse." She said. Tears shone in her eyes. "I wouldn't be able to handle if anything happened to you."

Dean's features softened. "That's how I feel about you except something already happened. But I want you to know that you can come to me with _anything_. I might get mad or upset, but I'm not going to just run off on you or do anything you don't want me to do."

She swung her legs over the edge of the couch to shift her body closer to Dean. She reached up to connect her lips with his. He leaned into the kiss as his hand came up to entwine in her soft curls. She gazed into his eyes as the kiss ended. "Can I ask you something that you'll answer completely honestly?"

He nodded his head as he pushed her hair behind her ear. "Of course."

"Do you…do you still love me even after everything that's happened?"

"Of course I still love you."

"I don't want you to think you have to be with me because of everything going on."

"Alex, I'm not with you because I pity you or feel like I have to. I love you." He rested his hand on her cheek, the pad of his thumb gently caressing her skin. He looked into her deep chocolate eyes; the eyes he got lost in every time he looked into them. "I love you so much that it hurts and nothing has or will ever change that."

She nodded against his hand. Her vision blurred with unshed tears. "Good because I don't know what I would do without you."

He leaned forward to capture her lips with his once again. He inhaled her sweet, vanilla scent as his fingers danced in her curls. His stomach fluttered and his heart swelled. He wanted to live in this moment forever; her in his arms with their lips attached.

"You don't have to because I'm not going anywhere." He smiled. "You look exhausted, why don't you take a nap?"

"I'm…I'm afraid I'll have a nightmare." She whispered.

"I'll be right here and if I see you having one, I'll wake you up."

Alex looked at him hesitantly before eventually nodding. Dean kicked his shoes off and swung his legs onto the couch. He held his arms open and Alex laid down, molding herself into his body. She pulled the blanket over their bodies before resting her head on his chest. Dean wrapped his arms around her and pressed a ginger kiss to the top of her head. She suddenly felt safe in his arms with his strong muscles embracing her. She felt as though no harm could reach her in his arms. She closed her eyes as he gently stroked her curls, lulling her to sleep.

 _Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed. Mason causes some more trouble next chapter. Review!_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Alex pushed the contents of her salad around as Harper babbled about auditioning for the school play.

"You know pushing it around isn't going to make it disappear." Dean said as he watched his girlfriend play with her lunch from the seat beside him.

She sighed before slipping a forkful of lettuce into her mouth. "Happy?"

"I'll be happy when you finish it." He told her gently. He burrowed his eyebrows as he watched her stand. "Where are you going?"

"To get a water."

"I can go for you." He offered.

"No, I'm perfectly capable of getting myself a water." She snapped bitterly.

"Okay." Dean nodded. He knew she didn't mean to yell at him; she was frustrated.

Alex walked across the cafeteria to the vending machine in the corner. Guilt swam in the pit of her stomach for snapping at Dean. He was only trying to help and he had been amazing throughout all of this. She slipped a dollar into the slot and glanced at the drink selections to find the correct number. A large hand rested on her shoulder, causing her to flinch. She spun around quickly and her breath caught in her throat when her eyes met Mason's.

"Hello Alex." He smirked.

She attempted to walk passed him, but he backed her into the vending machine. Her stomach bubbled with nausea as he pressed his body against hers. "Get away from me."

"I can't do that." He whispered in her ear; his hot breath sending unpleasant shivers down her spine. Her muscles tensed as his hand rested on her hip, squeezing it tightly.

"Get away from her!" Dean's voice boomed throughout the cafeteria, capturing the attention of nearby students. He stormed towards Mason and latched onto the back collar of his shirt. He pulled him away from Alex and shoved him.

"Dean." Alex gasped with shock. The veins in Dean's neck protruding. Alex stepped in front of him before things escalated. She knew he was seconds from punching Mason. She placed a hand on his chest. "Let's just go sit back down."

"Hey, it's not my fault you can't keep her satisfied." A smirk stretched across Mason's lips as he taunted Dean.

Dean grunted as he lunged. Alex tugged at his arm. "Dean, it's not worth it."

"What's going on over here?"

Alex whipped her head around to find her younger brother approaching the scene. "Nothing. It's fine, Max."

Max narrowed his eyes at Mason. He took a step towards him and pointed his index finger in Mason's face. "You stop harassing her. Stay away from her."

Mason threw his hands up defensively. "She's the one who can't stay away from me."

Alex squeezed Dean's hand in an attempt to calm him. She watched as her brother clenched his fists and she feared what he would do. Dean could handle a fight against Mason, but Max was not as strong. She reached out to pull on his arm. "C'mon, Max."

"I have all the proof right here." Mason's smirk grew wider as he reached into his pocket. A pair of lacy black underwear dangled from his hand.

Alex froze as her eyes gawked at the undergarment in his hands. Her stomach plummeted. Sweat beaded on her forehead, yet goosebumps painted her skin. Her throat closed. Those were her underwear; the ones she wore the night of the party. She felt Harper's hand on her shoulder. Alex shrugged it off as bile rose in her throat. She darted towards the nearest garbage can as the contents of her stomach spilled from her throat.

Dean's heart hammered with rage. He clenched his jaw tightly as his eyes examined the article of clothing in Mason's hands. It was as if Mason had a death wish; he pushed Dean further and further every time and Dean was almost positive he could kill Mason with his own two hands. He was about to lunge at Mason when a small groan snapped him out of his fury. He whipped his head towards the sound to find Alex racing towards the garbage with a hand clutched her stomach. All thoughts of attacking Mason escaped his mind. His only concern right now was to make sure that Alex was okay.

He dashed to her side and gathered her curls back as she vomited into the garbage can. His other hand rubbed soothing circles on her back. Harper stood on the opposite side of her watching with shock written across her features. Everything had happened so fast; one minute Alex was getting a water bottle, the next Dean was running from the table, and the next Mason was taunting them with evidence and Alex was vomiting.

"Thank you for this souvenir, Alex." Mason grinned, fully aware that the entire cafeteria was watching the scene.

Alex's stomach lurched. There was nothing left in her stomach, leaving her to dry heave over the garbage.

Max dove towards Mason, swinging his fist to his jaw. Harper's eyes grew wide as a gasp escaped her lips. She latched onto his arm and pulled him back before he or Mason had the chance to do anything else.

"What in the world is going on in here?" Mr. Laritate shouted as he entered the scene. His eyes darted from Mason, one hand holding a pair of underwear and the other pressing against his red jaw, to Harper holding back a fuming Max, to Alex who was bent over a garbage can with Dean holding back her hair. The principle could not piece together what had possibly occurred.

"He won't leave Alex alone!" Max yelled through gritted teeth as he pointed an accusing finger at Mason.

Mason feigned shock. "Mr. Laritate, Alex came to me. Her boyfriend and brother just can't handle the fact that she's a slut."

Max grunted and took a step towards Mason, but Harper tightened her grip on his arm.

Alex had finally stopped gagging, but she remained glued to her spot.

"I've had enough of this! Miss. Russo, you need to settle your boy problems outside of my school!" Mr. Laritate shook his head in disapproval. "Max, Mason, in my office now."

"Max, don't say _anything._ " Alex warned her brother in a strained voice.

Max frowned in displeasure, but nodded his head. "I won't."

Mason winked at Alex before he exited the cafeteria behind the principle.

Alex swallowed the lump in her throat as her mind tried to process the last five minutes. She felt everyone's eyes burning her skin. Her breath shallowed. "I…I need to get out of here." She whispered to Dean and Harper before she practically ran out of the cafeteria, the click of her boots echoing throughout the unusually quiet cafeteria.

Dean followed his girlfriend's footsteps. He found her at the end of the hallway, sitting on the floor with her back against the wall and her knees drawn to her chest. Her hand rested on her heaving chest. He walked towards her and kneeled before her. Her panicked eyes met his. "I…I can't breathe."

"You're okay. You're having a panic attack. It's going to pass. Deep breaths, in and out." He said soothingly. He gently took her hand and brought it to his chest. "Follow my breaths. In and out, in and out."

Alex focused on the gentle rise and fall of Dean's chest. The burning pressure in her chest began to subside. Her lungs seemed to finally fill with oxygen. The room began to stop spinning. Her hand fell from his chest to her lap as she rested her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.

Dean scooted himself over so he was against the wall beside her. He reached into her lap to take her hand in his and intertwine their fingers. After a moment of silent, Dean turned his head to look at Alex. "Do you want to tell me what's going on in your head?"

She turned her head to face him. "Those…those were my underwear from that night."

Dean gently ran his thumb over the top of her hand. "I had a feeling they were."

"When I woke up I couldn't find them. My jeans were ripped and I was bleeding and I couldn't find my underwear." Her voice shook as she recalled herself searching the room frantically and hysterically. "I…I thought I just couldn't find them, but he took them."

Dean frowned. He was glad she was opening about what happened, but the more he heard, the more his heart broke and his blood boiled. Guilt swam in the pit of his stomach as he recalled storming off and leaving her at the party alone. "I hate myself for leaving you there. If I…"

"Stop." She interjected softly. "I don't want you to blame yourself. I don't blame you. It wasn't your fault."

"You know it wasn't yours, right?" Dean asked. Her silence made his stomach ache and he searched her eyes for evidence to dispute his assumptions. She closed her eyes for a moment. "Alex…"

"I… don't remember leaving my drink anywhere, but I must of. I should have been more careful. I should have realized he was dangerous too. He was so possessive and jealous."

"Just like I _should have_ stayed at the party with you, but you don't blame me. Even if you left your drink unattended, it doesn't make it your fault. It didn't give anyone the right to put something in it. And he tricked you into thinking he was a nice guy and even if you realized he was dangerous he may have found a way to do what he wanted to do anyway."

Alex leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. "I just want him to go away and forget everything."

Dean wished there was some way he could grant her that. He brought her hands to his lips and planted a soft kiss to the top of her hand. "I know and I wish I could make that happen, but you will get through this."

Alex tilted her head and rested it on Dean's shoulder. Dean turned and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. The two sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying one another's presence, for the rest of the lunch period

 _Thanks for reading! More drama ensues next chapter. Review!_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Alex entered the Sub Station frantically. Her eyes wandered the room before they found Justin in the kitchen with her parents. She stormed over, tossing her bag to the side of the room before facing her brother.

"Oh hey Alex, I…"

"I told you not to tell anyone!" She interjected her brother furiously, grabbing the attention of her mother and father.

"What are you talking about?" Justin asked as his eyebrows knitted together.

"Did you go to the Wizard council?" Alex questioned as she folded her arms over her chest. She clenched her jaw as Justin's face contorted with guilt. "How could you?"

"Alex, sweetie, what's going on?" Theresa asked as she and Jerry exchanged confused glances.

"Justin is trying to get Mason's werewolf powers taken away." Alex's voice shook furiously as she narrowed her eyes at her brother. She understood his intentions, but he didn't realize what he had just done.

"Justin, is this true?" Jerry asked his son.

"Yes." Justin nodded. "I went to the Wizard council to ask some questions and when I found out they could help I briefly told them what happened. They're investigating, but they may take away his powers."

"He knows what you're trying to do! You've only made things worse." She seethed, her chest heaving up and down.

"Did he say something to you?" Justin questioned, feeling his stomach twist. If Alex knew that Mason knew that meant he confronted her and Justin feared what had occurred during that confrontation. Alex seemed shaken up and he wasn't sure if it was just the anger she had towards him or if it was from whatever Mason said or did. He was hoping it was just anger, but somehow he knew that wasn't true.

"What do you think?" She muttered as she nibbled on her lower lip.

Theresa rested her hand on Alex's arm. She felt a twinge in her heart when her daughter flinched at her touch. "What did he do, Alex?"

Her eyes darted around the room, avoiding contact with her family. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does matter. What did he do?" Jerry clenched his fists by his side. His heart was pumping furiously, but he tried to remain calm from the sake of his daughter. He couldn't handle watching his little girl suffer anymore. He would do anything to go back and time and forbid her from seeing Mason. She probably would have resented him for it, but he would prefer that over what was happening now.

Alex anxiously toyed with the bracelet on her wrist. Justin stepped towards her, erasing the space between them and took Alex's hand. She inhaled sharply and jumped at his touch, but reminded herself that it was just her brother. He rolled up the sleeve of her sweater and cringed at the sight of the fresh bruised painted on her flesh.

"Oh Alex, did he do that to you?" Theresa's eyes widened and her hand found her chest as she examined the hues of colors on her daughter's wrist.

"Alex, you need to tell us what happened." Jerry said.

Alex swallowed as tears sparkled in her eyes. She absentmindedly traced the bruise on her wrist. "I…I wasn't feeling well in class so I left to go to the bathroom just to get away for a few minutes, but…I-I ran into him."

 _Alex's eyes scanned the empty halls as she started for the bathroom. A startled gasp escaped her lips as a hand roughly latched onto her upper arm. The hand pulled her forcefully, causing her to stumble towards its owner. Her head whipped around and her eyes met Mason's. He pulled her into the nearby janitor's closet, shoving her into the shelf in the back. She winced as her back slammed against the shelf before she fell to the floor. Mason closed the door and spun to face her._

 _Alex remained on the floor, paralyzed with fear and shock. She swore her heart stopped for a moment as he took a step closer to her, looming above her. She swallowed thickly and pulled herself onto her feet. Her eyes moved to the closed door, but he was blocking her exit._

" _You're trying to get my werewolf powers taken away?" His jaw clenched as he took another step towards her, leaving little space remaining between the two._

 _Alex attempted to take a step back to distance herself, but her back was against the shelf. "I don't know what you're talking about."_

 _He lunged towards her, a guttural growl emitting from his lips. "Don't lie to me!"_

 _She inhaled sharply as he slammed her back into her shelf. "I'm not lying."_

" _Someone for the Wizard's Council paid me a visit to let me know that they are investigating me." His nostrils started to flare and the vein in his neck twitched._

" _I…I didn't go to the W-Wizard Council." Alex stammered. She swore she could hear her heart beat echoing in the small closet._

" _I told you not to lie to me!" Mason shouted furiously. His hands latched onto her upper arms and he shook her small frame violently._

 _Alex blinked dumbly at him. Her mind was clouded with fear. This was a different side of Mason and it seemed more dangerous. He was violent yes, but it was always in a possessive way. This was rage._

" _I'm…I'm not lying, I swear. I d-didn't say anything." She hated the way her voice sounded weak. She winced as his grip on her arms tightened and his finger nails dug into her flesh. She tried to take a step forward, but he pushed her back. Her breathing shallowed. She pushed at his chest, but his hand captured her wrist in a deadly grip. She whimpered softly. "You're hurting me."_

" _You're going to pay for this." He twisted her wrist as his other hand reached up to grasp her jaw._

" _I didn't do anything." She cried. She squirmed against him in an attempt to get free, but his strength overpowered hers. Her free hand reached behind her in search of something on the shelf. She found a spray bottle that she could only assume was some sort of cleaning product. She pointed it at his face and pushed down the lever, releasing its contents._

 _Mason grunted. He released his hold on Alex as his hands wiped at his face. She darted for the door, but her trembling hands fumbled with the locked knob in the dimmed light. She finally twisted the locked, but as her hand turned the knob, she was pulled back. "You're not going anywhere."_

" _Let go of me!" She shouted as she thrashed against him. His fist struck her abdomen and her knees buckled. She grabbed onto to the shelf to steady herself and her other hand reached down to feel for her wand in her boot. She couldn't think of a single spell in the moment, but she could flash herself out of the closet. His hand found her wrist again, pulling it away from her boot. She struggled against him, but he clenched her wrist painfully. "What do you want?"_

" _For you to keep your damn mouth shut!" He roared as he pinned her against the shelf. He leaned down so his mouth was against her ear. "And for you to break up with Dean."_

" _In your dreams." She spat through gritted teeth._

" _You're mine." A grin spread across his lips as his hand slid down her waist and found its way to her inner thigh._

 _Her breath caught in her throat. "Don't touch me."_

" _But I already have." He whispered against her neck before sucking on her delicate flesh. His hand inched further up the inside of her thigh as he grinded into her._

 _She swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Her stomach gurgled with nausea. She once again attempted to free herself from him, but she couldn't budge. She lifted her knee to kick him, but he was one step ahead of her and sent another punch to her ribcage. She let out a cry as stars danced behind her eyelids. "Stop."_

" _Stop fighting this." He grumbled against her neck. His hand snaked up to the button on her jeans._

 _Tears blurred her vision. She couldn't breathe. Her chest ached as the speed it was striking. The bell rang, followed by chatter in the distance. Mason suddenly peeled himself off Alex, narrowing his eyes at the trembling brunette. "I'm only letting you go because it's too risky. But this isn't over. You better keep your damn mouth shut."_

Justin lifted her other sleeve to find a bruise of her right wrist as well. "Is your abdomen bruised too?"

Alex pulled her wrist back and angrily wiped at the tear that escaped her eye. "No…I don't…I'm fine."

"Alex, lift up your shirt." Theresa said softly.

"No. I don't…. don't…" She shook her head as her voice trailed off.

"Sweetheart, we just want to see if you're bruised. Nobody is going to hurt you." Jerry could see the panic in his daughter's eyes and tore at his heart. He wanted the carefree, sarcastic, happy girl that she had been prior to all of this, but he wasn't sure if any of that girl was left inside of her.

"Let's start with just your cardigan." Theresa suggested. It was a smaller step for Alex and she also wanted to see her arms and back.

Alex hesitated before she slipped off her purple cardigan, leaving her in her black tank top. She fumbled with the sweater in her hands nervously. Theresa frowned as she examined the finger shaped bruises on Alex's upper arms. She took two steps back to look at Alex's back side and found a large bruise on her left shoulder and another peeking through her dark curls. She also took notice of how distinct her bones appeared. She moved back so she was in front of Alex. "Can I lift your shirt up now?"

Alex nodded reluctantly. Her body tensed as she felt her mother's hands at the hem of her shirt. She dropped her sweater as her hands came up to stop Theresa's hands. Her heart sped up. Images of Mason flashed through her mind. "Stop."

Theresa retracted her hands and held them in the air. "It's just me, Mija."

Alex bit down on her bottom lip. She felt dumb for freaking out over her own mother's touch. "I…I'll do it." She slowly lifted her shirt, stopping right below her chest.

A swirl of black and purple welts decorated the left side of her abdomen. Theresa's heart ached at the pain that her daughter was suffering from physically and emotionally. "Maybe we should go to the emergency room."

"No!" Alex shouted as she pulled her shirt back down. She took a step back and shook her head frantically.

"Alex, this is proof that he's hurting you." Justin began. He opened his mouth to continued, but Alex cut him off.

"No! The reason he did this is because he thinks I said something." Her eyes were wide and wild. "It doesn't matter how much proof there is, all he has to do is turn himself into a werewolf to hide."

"Not if I kill him first." Jerry muttered through clenched teeth.

"This is why I went to the Wizard Council. If they take away his werewolf powers, he can't hide."

Alex threw her hands in the air. "He's out for revenge just for telling them! What do you think he's going to do if they actually take away his powers? You have to go back to the council and tell them to forget what you said."

"No, he can't…."

"Please!" Alex choked out. Her lower lip trembled before tears erupted from her eyes.

"Oh Mija." Theresa frowned. She took a step to her daughter with her arms open.

Alex collapsed into her mother's arms. The fear constantly flowing through her veins was consuming her. "H-he's going to come after me."

"No, we wouldn't let that happen." Jerry said protectively. He stepped beside his wife and placed a gentle hand on Alex's back.

"It's already happened and he just keeps getting worse. There's no stopping him." She buried her face in Theresa's shoulder as she let out a sob.

"I'm going to fix this." Justin announced with a slight nod.

"There's nothing to fix. There's no stopping him." She latched onto her mother as if she were her lifeline. The terror swimming in the pit of her stomach was paralyzing. Mason was dangerous. He would stop at nothing to get his revenge. Alex knew if the bell hadn't rung today he would have gone all the way with his assault and that terrified her. She couldn't be watched every second that she was out of her house and those seconds that she was alone was when he made his move. She felt trapped. There was no way out of this. There was no evidence against him or at least not enough to get him locked behind bars for a long time.

Theresa exchanged worried glances with her son and husband as Alex trembled in her arms. They were scared too; scared for Alex's safety. Mason was relentless and needed to be stopped. Theresa was also concerned Alex would never recover from her anorexia was long as Mason was still around. He was the main problem; the cause of her downward spiral. He took away all control from her. They needed to do something about this because she couldn't stand to watch helplessly anymore. Theresa feared if the anorexia didn't kill her daughter, Mason would.

 _Thanks for reading! Things have taken a turn for the worse. I apologize for the delay in updating. I know I addressed this in my other story, but I don't believe I've told you guys that I am currently battling Lyme disease. After many, many health problems over the years I finally received the diagnosis in December and began antibiotics. However, antibiotics make things worse before they get better for Lyme patients and when you've had it for a while it requires multiple courses of antibiotics. This included some cognitive/neurological symptoms I had been dealing with, which made writing difficult. This was and may continue to be the reason for lengthy time between updates, but I'm trying my best! Anyway…hope you enjoyed!_

 _Review!_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Alex stared at the television screen, but failed to pay attention to the show. Her mind was distracted with a million different thoughts. Her phone buzzed beside her and Dean's name lit up on the screen. She opened the message and small smile found her lips. _Hey beautiful, be there in 10 min_. She quickly typed a reply before tossing her phone back onto the couch beside her.

Alex's head whipped towards the front door at the sound of the doorbell. She burrowed her eyebrows; she was pretty sure it was too soon for Dean to be here and if he was, he would go through the Sub Station. She planted her feet on the carpet and made her way to the door. After pulling the door open, her eyes were suddenly staring into dark, vengeful eyes. Oxygen escaped her lungs. She swung the door closed, but he pushed it back open before she had the chance to fully close it. Her hands shoved at the door against him, but his strength overpowered her and eventually stepped inside the house.

"Hello Alex."

She turned to run, but he latched onto her wrist and slammed her against the wall. The frames on the wall shook; one fell to the floor and shattered. She opened her mouth to scream, but he was quick to place a hand over her mouth, muffling her cry for help. His other hand reached into his back pocket. Her eyes grew wide as she watched him retrieve a gun from behind his back.

He removed his hand from her mouth. "If you scream I'll shoot you and then go down to the Sub Station and shoot your family. Your precious Dean is on his way over here, right? He would look good with a bullet through his head."

Alex swallowed the lump in her throat. She tried to even out her breath, but it felt as though her lungs would not fill with oxygen. She knew he was dangerous and she had been on edge for his revenge since his werewolf powers were taken away last week. He had been threatening vengeance when he found out the wizard council was investigating him. Once they found reason to evoke his powers, his desire for retaliation sky rocketed. Dean and Harper remained by her side during the school day to avoid Mason catching her alone. Alex knew he was planning something, but she did not think he would break into her house with a gun.

"We can either do this the hard way or the easy way. You can willingly come with me or I can force you out."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She spat. She knew she was challenging him, but she wasn't giving him her dignity.

His face contorted with rage. He raised his hand before backhanding her across the face. Her head whipped to the side. A pungent, metallic smell assaulted her nostrils. She brought her hand up to her face as blood trickled from her nose. Her face stung from the impact. A yelp escaped her lips as Mason's fist struck her abdomen. Her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor. The blood from her nose splashed onto the wooden floor beneath her.

"Get up." He growled. He grabbed a clump of her curls and pulled her onto her feet. He shoved the gun into is back pocket. "I guess we're doing this the hard way."

He was suddenly holding a syringe, lowering it towards her arm. She squirmed against him and shook her head frantically. "No, no, no."

He jabbed the needle into her bicep and injected the substance. The syringe dropped from his grip, falling to the floor with a clank. Alex cringed at the sharp pain shooting through the injection site. Her heart hammered in her chest. She had no idea what he just injected into her. She tried to take in deep breaths; Dean was going to be here soon. If she could fight him off long enough, Dean would get here before he had the chance to do anything. She reached for her wand, but he snatched it from her hand and snapped it in half.

She struggled against him in an attempt to free herself. He refused to loosen his grip on her. She gathered a ball of saliva in her mouth before ejecting it in Mason's face. He released his grip as he wiped at his face with a grunt. Alex darted towards the staircase. Only one step was taken before Mason's fingers were wrapped around her wrist once again.

"No!" She cried desperately.

Mason's nostrils flared. The vein in his neck protruded. He twisted her wrist harshly, producing a loud snap. Alex inhaled sharply at the sudden pain throbbing through her wrist. He shoved her to the floor. A yelp left her lips as she landed on her already injured wrist in the pile of shattered glass. She lifted her aching wrist to examine the new gash on the palm of her hand from falling on a shard of glass. Blood oozed from the wound. The room began to spin. Her vision blurred. A numb, tingling sensation dispersed throughout her body. Time felt like it was slowing.

A wicked grin stretched Mason's lips as he loomed above Alex. He watched her eyelids droop and her body sway unsteadily. He pulled out a piece of cloth, placing it over her mouth and tying it around the back of her head. She wanted to push him away, but her limbs wouldn't move. He scooped her in his arms and started for the door. Her mind was screaming to fight, but her muscles wouldn't move; she was paralyzed.

* * *

Dean entered the Sub Station and greeted Max who was serving a nearby table. He walked towards the kitchen where Theresa, Jerry, and Justin were working. "Hey, is Alex upstairs?"

Justin lifted his head to meet Dean's eyes and offered him a nod. "Yeah she was resting on the couch. I think she had a rough night last night. She seemed really tired, but she ate all of her eggs this morning."

"Oh, hello Dean." Theresa greeted with a smile. She lifted the plate in her hand to display it to Dean. "I was just going to bring up lunch for Alex. I'll let you do that job."

Dean nodded and received the plate from Theresa. He headed up the stairs, his eyes moving to the TV screen that was playing a commercial. The couch however was empty. His eyes moved passed the couch and he froze in his spot when he spotted the scene by the front door. Shattered glass was scattered on the wooden floor mixed in with splotches of blood. The frames that remained on the wall were crooked, while the other were sprawled into broken pieces on the floor. Alex's broken wand and a syringe sat on the floor nearby. The plate in Dean's hand slipped from his grasp, bouncing to the floor with a clank. He swore his heart stopped for a moment.

"Alex!" His shaky voice boomed throughout the living room. His legs felt like jelly as he moved to the staircase. He was almost certain she was no longer in the house, but finding the upstairs empty made his stomach knot further. He darted down to the Sub Station to alert the Russos and flurry of events ensued. Panic erupted in all of them. Max searched the house even though they were certain Alex wasn't in it. Jerry called the police, while Justin contacted the wizard world. Theresa paced the living room floor anxiously. They all knew that Alex's disappearance had to do with Mason.

"The police are on their way." Jerry's somber voice pierced the heavy air as he dropped the phone onto the coffee table.

Justin sauntered into the living room with his head hung low. "I can't locate her. He probably has wherever he took her covered in plastic."

"This can't be happening." Theresa shook her head frantically as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. Jerry pulled her into his arms

The next hour was a blur for Dean. Police had arrived, questioning each and every one of them. They frantically explained the events leading up to Alex's disappearance: The date rape assault, Alex's anorexia, Mason's return, his relentless harassment and threats. Other officers were collecting evidence from the scene. They sent out a search committee and all Dean and the Russo's could do was hope that they would find Alex.

 _I am so sorry that I haven't updated in forever. I honestly didn't even realize just how long it had been. I promise I have not abandoned this story. I believe I told you about my battle with Lyme. I'm currently on my fifth course of antibiotics and every time I start a new course, the symptoms get so much more worse and during that time writing is difficult. I have a lot of this story written, but before posting an update, I spend a lot of time editing the chapter. So, stick with me! I will do my best to get out quicker updates._

 _Mason's imminent revenge has happened. Can they find Alex in time? Find out next chapter! Review!_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Alex's eyes fluttered open. She sat up slowly, wincing at the pounding of her head. She lifted her throbbing wrist to find it bruised and swollen. A gash caked with dried blood was painted on her palm. Everything suddenly flooded back to her; Mason broke into her house and took her. Her eyes scanned her surroundings. She was in an empty room with no windows or furniture. There was a single lamp in the corner of the room and two closed doors.

One of the doorknobs rattled. Alex held her breath as she watched the door open. Mason stepped inside before closing the door behind him. He grinned when his eyes met Alex. "Oh good, you're awake. I was waiting for you to wake up so we could have some fun."

Alex refused to meet his eyes. She instinctively reached into her pocket for her wand, but found it empty.

"Don't even bother. I broke your wand and this place is covered in plastic." His grin grew wider. "You're powerless."

A blurred image of Mason snapping her wand flashed behind her lids. Any hope left in Alex dissipated. She had no way out; she couldn't flash herself out or do one of the self-defense spells her father or Justin taught her and her brothers wouldn't be able to use magic to find her location.

Her body went rigid as Mason approached. He circled around her, looming above before he knelt in front of her. She held her breath as tears welled in her eyes. She swore she could hear her own heat beating as it pounded in her chest.

Mason's hand reached up to cup Alex's cheek. She whipped her head to the opposite side in an attempt to escape his touch. His hand slid down to her jaw, clenching it tightly as he forced her head to face him. She kept her eyes casted down. Her body was trembling uncontrollably and she wasn't sure if it was from fear or from whatever he drugged her with.

"Please just let me go." She whispered.

"Alex, we are meant to be together. You will see that soon." He wiped at the single tear that trickled down her cheek. Her stomach lurched at his touch. "Don't cry, my love. Our love for each other is real."

"I don't love you, Mason, and I never will." She spat bitterly. "I- I thought I once did, but I didn't and I didn't truly know who you were. I love Dean."

Alex flinched as Mason slammed his hand into the ground. He stood abruptly and his voice boomed throughout the bare room. "Don't bring him into this!"

Alex blinked dumbly at him.

"You love _me!_ " He shouted as he clenched his fists by his side.

Alex shook her head as she slowly scooted further away from him. "N-no I don't. You hurt me."

His nostrils flared. The thunderous sound of his hand swiping across her face echoed throughout the room. She brought her hand up to her stinging face. A red handprint instantly highlighted her skin. She scooted back further, but she reached the wall. He grabbed a clump of her curls and pulled her onto her feet. He slammed her against the wall, her head bouncing. "I'm going to prove it to you."

Alex tried to pull away as he leaned down and attacked her lips with his. She squirmed against him, but his strength overpowered her. His lips trailed down to her neck, his teeth tearing at her delicate flesh. She tried to push at his chest, but she only had one hand- she was pretty sure her other wrist was broken. His hands wandered her body roughly before finding their way to the waist band of her jeans. He popped open the button. Tears stung Alex's eyelids as she shook her head frantically. She latched onto his hand with her uninjured hand in an attempt to stop him. "No, stop!"

He grabbed her wrist and pinned it against the wall. "Do you want me to break this one too? Stop fighting this, you know you want it."

Alex's chest ached from the rapid speed her heart was beating. "Please don't do this."

"I'm just giving you what you really want." He breathed against her neck. One hand remained pinning her wrist against the wall while the other tore at her shirt. He ripped it off her body, leaving her in her bra. She swallowed down a sob, closing her eyes. She was trying to distance herself from this nightmare. She thought of lying in Dean's arms, one of Harper's outfits, Justin having a conniption, one of her mother's hugs; anything to take her away from what was happening now. She was struggling to focus on anything but the present as Mason's hand snaked up to her back and unclasped her bra. The piece of clothing was tossed to the floor along with her torn shirt. His lips returned to her neck, trailing down to her chest while roughly nipping her skin.

Tear tumbled down Alex's cheeks. The powerless, helpless feeling was unbearable. The control had been stolen from her once again and it made her chest ache. She wanted him away from her. She wanted him to stop touching her, making her stomach churn. But she couldn't. No matter what she did or what she said, she couldn't get him to stop. He overpowered her and it sickened her.

His hands wandered her body roughly, bruising and scratching her delicate skin. His fingers found the button on her jeans. A sob ripped through her throat. She didn't want to do this. The desperation brewing inside her was agonizing. "Please. Please stop. I don't want to do this."

"Yes, you do." Mason growled. He yanked her jeans and underwear down her legs in one swift motion before whirling her around to face the wall.

Alex inhaled sharply as her face press against the wall. Another sob left her trembling lips as she felt his hands between her legs. "Mason please. I'll break up with Dean if you just stop."

Mason grunted as he twisted her arm back harshly. "Shut up!"

Alex yelped as she felt her shoulder pop. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying to every and any higher power that she would be anywhere but here when she opened them. But her prayers were ignored and somehow the hopelessness filling every inch of her body multiplied. Bile rose in her throat when she felt his bare skin against her. His hands were pushing her thighs apart and she swore her heart was going to rip out of her chest from the rate it was beating. She shook her head frantically. "No, no. Please. _Please_. Don't do this!"

Her desperate pleas fell on deaf ears. Mason entered Alex from behind producing a pained cry from the distraught brunette. Alex's knees buckled, and she was nearly positive the only thing keeping her on her feet was Mason. White, hot pain exploded behind her lids. It felt as though he was tearing her insides apart with a razor blade. "Please stop. It hurts."

"Don't be so dramatic. It's not like we haven't done this before."

Alex focused on a speck on the wall. Her soul was shattered into a million piece once again and she was nearly positive it was unrepairable. This wasn't her body; at least it didn't feel like it. It felt as though it belonged to him.

Alex wasn't sure how long had passed before he pulled away from her. But every second felt like an hour. An excruciating hour. Her legs gave out the second he let go and she collapsed to the floor. She curled herself into fetal position as silent tears trickled down her bruised cheeks and splashed onto the floor beneath her. Somehow, she felt numb and an overwhelming amount of pain all at once. The utter hopelessness multiplied and Alex wondered if she would ever get out of here.

 _So sorry that this has taken forever to get up. It's been an up and down few months and for some reason I drifted from this story. Not sure how many people are reading this anyway. Nonetheless, I will try harder to get some more updates out._

 _Review!_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Jerry, Justin, and Max flipped through the pages of books in the lair frantically while Dean paced the room. The door clicked open and Theresa stepped into the room. Her hair was pulled back messily and her eyes were red and puffy. It had been nearly 48 hours since Alex had gone missing. The police were searching for her, but there had been no success.

"Maybe you guys should take a break. It's getting late." Theresa suggested. The four of them had been searching endlessly for something to find Alex, but currently, they were unsuccessful. The gnawing anxiety swimming in Theresa's stomach grew worse with each passing minute. The statistics were known to all of them; the first 48 hours are crucial to a missing person's case. They were approaching that deadline fast.

"No! There has to be some kind of spell to get around the plastic or find her or something!" Justin shook his head, flipping to the next page of the book. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "There has to be something."

"Maybe I should go out looking for her again." Dean reached into his jean pockets for his car keys. He's driven or walked down nearly every street in the area in hope of some sort of sign to where Alex was.

Theresa shook her head. "No, it's late. You need to get some sleep. The police are looking for her."

"They're not doing a good job!" Dean shouted, throwing his hand in the air. He ran a hand through his hair and inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry, Theresa, I just- I need to know that she's okay."

Tears shone in Theresa's eyes. She offered Dean a weak smile. "You don't have to apologize. I know how you feel."

* * *

The door clicked open. Alex's stomach lurched. She was curled in fetal position where she had remained for several hours after his latest assault. She held her breath as the sound of footsteps assaulted her ears. Her eyes fluttered shut as he approached, hoping that he would leave her alone if he thought she was sleeping.

"Hello, my love." A wide grin stretched Mason's lips as he knelt down before her.

For the umpteenth time since she was brought here, her hope was crushed. She opened her eyes slowly, meeting his. Somehow the dread and fear coursing through every inch of her body intensified. Her eyes caught the cellphone and keys in his back pocket of his jeans. She needed to get to them; they were her only chances of escaping. She swallowed back her fear and met Mason's eyes. She forced a wide smile at him. "Hi, Mason."

Mason placed a hand on her cheek and Alex fought the urge to pull away.

"I've been thinking all night and I think you're right, I think we do belong together." She widened her smile as she leaned into his touch. "I dreamt last night of our first kiss. Do you remember that kiss in the rain?"

"How could I forget?" A grin stretched his lips as he reminisced about that very day.

Alex felt nauseous thinking back to that kiss, ashamed that she was ever attracted to him. But she kept the smile plastered on her face. "It made me think of all of our memories together. We were really good together."

Mason nodded, pushing a strand of hair behind Alex's ear. "We sure were."

"Forget Dean. It's you I really love." Alex felt a twinge to her heart as she said those words.

"I love you too, darling." Mason leaned forward to connect their lips.

Alex blinked back tears as she forced herself to kiss him back. Shame exploded within her. "Can you unchain me so I can show you how much I love you?"

Mason narrowed his eyes and glanced at the chains on her wrists and ankle hesitantly. He chained her last night, insisting she needed to earn his trust.

Alex saw the hesitation; she needed to be more convincing. "You…you've just made me f-feel so good, I…want to r-return the favor."

Mason reached into his back pocket and retrieved the ring of keys. The keys jingled against one another as he lowered them to her feet. Alex had been watching closely since her time here to know that the small, squared silver key was for her chains and the rounded, gold one was for the room she had been trapped in- the one she needed to escape. She didn't know what the other five keys on the ring were for, but all she needed was the gold one and her plan to get it has succeeded thus far.

Alex held her breath as she watched him insert the key into the hole and twist it. The chains around her right ankle clanked as they bounced onto the concrete floor. He scooted around to her back and unlocked the handcuffs on her wrists. Alex let out a small sigh of relief; the handcuffs had been digging into her skin, leaving angry red gashes on her already bruised flesh. She felt free finally being unbounded and she wanted to run, but she knew she had to play it right if she wanted to make her plan work.

"I'm so happy you came to your senses, my love." Mason slipped the keys back into his pocket and stood up.

Alex swallowed back the pain shooting through every inch of her body and slowly planted her feet on the ground. Her heart pounded inside her chest, but she flashed Mason a flirty smile. "Let me show you how much you mean to me."

Mason's eyes gleamed with lust and power. He took a step closer to Alex and pulled her into a hungry kiss. Her stomach churned, but she leaned into the kiss. She took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his waist and slowly lowered them to the small of his back; inches from his back pocket. She blinked back tears as he deepened the kiss, but she had to continue; it was her only chance at getting out of here. Lying and manipulation were skills that normally came easy to her, skills she used to brag about mastering. But this was the most difficult thing she had to do, and the shame was unbearable. She lowered her hand further, slowly wrapping her fingers around the phone sticking out of his back pocket.

His lips detached from hers. She froze before slowly releasing the grip of the phone. His lips trailed down to her neck, ripping at her flesh. She needed to distract him. She moved her trembling hands to the front of his jeans. She fumbled with the belt buckle and button with her swollen wrist but eventually popped it open. "I want this to be about you right now."

"I just can't keep my hands off you." He chuckled.

Alex swallowed the bile rising in her throat. It took everything in her to continue. She tugged his pants down, letting them pool around his ankles. She watched as the phone in his pocket slid onto the floor. She was so close to getting the keys.

Mason stepped out of the jeans, kicking them to the side. Alex inhaled deeply as she lowered herself to her knees. One hand rested on the waistband of his boxers while the other reached into the pocket of the jeans lying on the floor. She grabbed the keys, but Mason's head snapped towards her at the sound of the jingling.

She inhaled sharply as she scrambled to her feet. A grunt left his lips as his hands reached out to grasp her, but she darted towards the door. Trembling hands fumbled with the keys before she finally jammed it into the lock. A deadly grip latched onto her arm, whipping her back and flinging her to the hard floor. She let out a cry of frustration. All she had to do was turn the knob and she could have escaped. She could have locked him inside and seek help. But she failed. She failed and now she would have to face his wrath.

"You tricked me!" His voice boomed throughout the room as his fist came down on her face. "You're going to pay for that, you dumb whore."

A yelp escaped Alex's lips as Mason's foot met her abdomen. She curled onto her side "I-I'm s-sorry."

Mason knelt before her and grabbed her jaw. His fingers squeezed her jawbone painfully as he forced her to look at him. "You're sorry? You're sorry?"

Alex blinked dumbly as he screamed at her face. She was nearly positive she had just signed her death certificate. Mason was livid, and she was very well aware that he was about to unleash a brutal punishment. Her body was weak, suffering from countless injuries, and she was sure it couldn't take much more.

Mason ripped his belt off his jeans that were now back around his waist. A thunderous crack echoed through the room as the belt came down hard on Alex's bare side. A cry left her lips as she curled further into herself. Mason pushed her onto her stomach, leaving her back exposed. Alex braced herself for the next lash and it came seconds later, followed by a third, a fourth, a fifth; she lost count at twenty. Her entire back burned unbearably and she squeezed her eyes shut, praying for him to stop.

Eventually, he did, but the relief was short lived. His fist replaced the belt, striking her anywhere he could. The pain was agonizing, and she couldn't help but wonder if this was going to be the end. It would be a relief to end this suffering, but she didn't want to leave Dean or her family and she most certainly did not want Mason's face to be the last one she saw.

 _Thanks for reading! Review!_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Alex lay in the corner of the room. There wasn't an inch of her body that didn't hurt. She didn't know how much longer she would make it in here. She was positive her body couldn't handle another beating. And she probably ruined any chance of escaping. Mason would never let her trick him again.

The sound of vibrations met her ears. She sat up slowly, clutching her abdomen that protested her movement. Her eyes wandered the bare room, trying to solve where the sound was coming from. Her mind was clouded and the swelling in her right eye made her vision blurred. Then it hit her; Mason left the phone here. Her heart fluttered with anticipation. Adrenaline allowed her to crawl towards where her torn shirt lay and pulled it up, revealing the phone.

She felt like she was dreaming as she lifted the phone into her hands. The incoming call stopped. She glanced at the door anxiously before her trembling hands dialed 911. Her eyes remained glued to the door; her heart pounded in fear that Mason would appear in the doorway.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"I-I was kidnapped." Alex stuttered.

"What is your name?"

"Alex Russo…Alexandra Russo. M-Mason Greyback broke into my house and t-took me I think like two or three days ago. I-I don't know how long has passed." Alex stammered. Oxygen flooded in and out of her lungs.

"Do you know your location?"

"N-no. He drugged me when he took me. I'm in an empty room…I think it might be underground, but I don't know." Alex rambled as her eyes continued to monitor the door.

"How old are you, Alex?"

"Seventeen."

"Do you know the number of the phone you are calling from?"

Alex closed her eyes for a moment. She didn't want to answer any more questions, she just wanted someone to get her out of this horrible place. "No. It's his phone. He dropped it and didn't realize. P-please help, it's only a matter of time before he comes back."

"I'm having trouble locating where you are. Can you give me any information about where you may be?"

"No." Alex cried. Her heart throbbed; she thought calling 911 would be an instant save. "H-he drugged me when he took me. One minute I was in my house and the next I was in this room. T-the floor is concrete and there are no windows. There's a small bathroom in the corner and the door that he comes through is always locked. H-he comes down stairs though."

"Okay, we're working on getting your location. My name is Amy. We're going to help you. Are you hurt, Alex?"

"Y-yes. I-I tried to take his keys and escape, but it didn't work, and he got really mad."

"Are you bleeding?"

Alex choked out a sob as she glanced down at the blood painted on her inner thighs. She brought her hand up to feel the bloody gash on her forehead. "Yes."

"Where are you bleeding, Alex? Are you bleeding a lot?"

"My forehead a little, my nose, and…d-down…between my legs."

"Okay, you're doing great, Alex. Just stay on the phone. We've gotten an idea of where you are, we are working on an exact location. You said the man that kidnapped you is Mason Greyback?"

"Y-yes." She nodded.

"Do you know if he has any weapons?"

"He had a gun when he broke into my house. I-I don't know if he has anything else." Alex froze when she heard the dreaded sound of footsteps descending the stairs. "Oh god, I hear him coming. He's going to kill me."

"Alex, stay on the phone with me. We are so close to getting your location. I need you to stay on the phone." Amy said urgently.

Alex held her breath as the door knob rattled. The door swung open. Alex let the phone slip from her grasp; it bounced to the floor with the operator calling out. Her eyes were wide with panic as Mason slammed the door shut behind him, his eyes narrowing at Alex and his jaw clenching. "What are you doing?"

Alex was paralyzed with fear as he stomped towards her.

"Mason, is that you?" Amy's voice echoed from the phone on the floor.

Mason's nostrils flared as he snatched the phone. "If you come here, I'll put a bullet through her head."

Alex swallowed back a sob as she watched him end the call. They hadn't found her exact location. Even if they found the general area she was in, she was nearly positive she wouldn't be breathing the time they got to her. She thought Mason was enraged before, but the state he was in now was on a completely other level. She inhaled sharply as he raised his fist, bracing herself for the impact. She whimpered softly as his fist crashed into her face, already bruised and aching from his prior abuse.

He held up the phone to her as the vein in his neck twitched. "You want to make some calls, huh? Okay, why don't we call Dean up?"

Alex blinked back tears as she watched Mason's fingers tap the numbers on the screen. Somehow her heart sped up and she was convinced if it beat any harder it would rip out of her chest. "N-no. Leave him out of this, please."

Mason clicked on the speaker button, letting the ring permeate the room. "I'm sure he would love to hear us making love."

Tears bled from her eyes as she shook her head frantically. Nausea tumbled in her stomach. "No! Please don't!"

"Hello." Dean's voice was husky with exhaustion.

"D-Dean, hang up! Don't listen to anything he tells you!" Alex shouted hysterically.

Dean's heart stopped for a moment at the sound of Alex's voice. "Alex, is that you?"

Alex closed her eyes when she heard Justin and her father shout in the background. She could only imagine how worried they must be, and it killed her that she couldn't communicate with them.

"Oh goodie, you're all there. Alex wanted to call you, Dean, to let you know that you two are officially done." The malicious gleam swimming in Mason's eyes made the fear coursing through Alex's body intensify.

"When I get my hands on you…" Dean growled. "Alex, where are you?"

"We were just about to make love and she wanted to call you to give you proof that she doesn't love you."

"Dean, please hang up." Alex pleaded desperately. She couldn't let him listen to what was about to happen.

"Keep your hands off her!" Dean shouted through gritted teeth.

"If you touch her, I will kill you with my own two hands!" Jerry screamed in the background.

"Too late." Mason snickered. There was a loud crash on the other end of the phone.

Alex had never heard Dean or her father so angry before. "Dean, you know I love you more than anything, please just hang up."

"I can't. I need to know you're okay. Are you hurt?" Dean's voice shook. There were whispers in the background, but Alex couldn't make out what was being said.

"I'm…I'm fine." She choked out unconvincingly. "I love you."

Mason grunted before he backhanded Alex across the face. "You don't love him, you love me!"

"Alex!" Dean gasped. The crack of skin meeting skin was unmistakable.

"I'm going to show you how much you love me." Mason popped the button open on his jeans, slid them down his waist, and kicked them off.

"No, please." Alex shook her head as tears streamed down her bruised cheeks. She slid herself backwards slowly. She couldn't handle anymore; her body hurt too much.

Mason flung off his boxers and knelt down. He latched onto her swollen ankle and pulled her back towards him. He shoved her onto her back and straddled her waist. The pressure of his weight on her body sent shocks of pain through every inch of her body. A sob erupted from Alex's lips.

"Alex!" Dean called out. It was killing him that he knew Mason was doing something to her and he was completely helpless. "Get away from her!"

"Dean, _please_ just hang up." Alex begged distraughtly. She swallowed back her cry as Mason began tearing at the flesh on her neck with his teeth. He started to trail down to her breasts.

"I'll kill her if you hang up." Mason threated as his nails scraped down her stomach.

"I'm not hanging up." Dean replied shakily.

Alex squeezed her eyes shut as silent tears oozed from them. What Mason was doing to her was awful and having Dean listen to it only multiplied the brutality of his torture. She clenched her jaw as she felt Mason's hands pushing at her bruised thighs. There was no point in trying to fight anymore. There was no way out; he was more than double her size and strength, he would undoubtfully outrun her with the countless injuries she sustained, and there was no place to really run. Fighting would only lead to more pain and she needed to stay as quiet as possible for Dean's sake.

Alex inhaled sharply when Mason entered her forcefully. She swallowed back the scream rising in her throat. Mason grunted as his hands found her throat. "Oh, Alex you feel so good."

"You son of a bitch!" Dean screamed. He was physically sick fully aware of what was going on at the other end of the phone. The girl he loved more than anything, more than life itself, was being tortured in the worst way possible and he had to listen to it with absolutely no way to stop it.

"This is what it's like to be with a real man." Mason taunted.

"Please stop." Alex whispered, but it fell on deaf ears. She could feel her wounds splitting open with each thrust.

"Say you like it." Mason demanded. He roughened his assault when she remained silent and his hand squeezed her throat. "Say it!"

"I…I like it." Alex choked out. Shame erupted within her. The severity of the psychological torment matched the physical abuse.

"That's right." Mason grinned. "Tell me you want it rough."

"Stop." Alex pleaded, earning a punch to the abdomen.

"Say it." He growled.

"I want it rough." She muttered. The humiliation multiplied. A pained cry escaped her lips as he somehow became rougher.

"Leave her alone!" Dean shouted. The helplessness was unbearable. He couldn't help but feel as though he was failing her. The powerlessness, anger, and pain strengthened with every groan from Mason, every whimper from Alex, every second that passed that he knew was another second his girlfriend had to endure pain and suffering.

A startling bang met their ears. Mason froze above Alex. Footsteps descended the stairs, growing louder with each passing second. Mason swore beneath his breath. "Shit."

"Alex, the police are there. You're going to be okay." Dean reassured.

Relief washed over Alex. Help was finally here. "Hel…"

Mason shoved his hand over Alex's mouth, muffling her scream. She whipped her head from side to side in an attempt to remove his hand from her mouth. Mason stood suddenly and sent a hard kick to Alex's ribcage. She whimpered, curling into herself. He pulled up his pants in one swift motion, grabbed Alex by her hair, and forced her onto her feet. Black spots danced in Alex's vision. The only think keeping her standing was Mason's tight grip around her. He dragged her towards the bathroom. Her heart hammered in her chest. What was he doing? Did he have some kind of escape route?

The banging on the door increased as the police tried to break it down. Mason threw open the bathroom door and stepped inside with Alex. He moved a towel to reveal a locked safe. He quickly typed in the code and it popped open. Alex closed her eyes when she saw the gun lying in the safe. Just like that the hope was crushed.

The door slammed open. Multiple police dispersed into the room with their weapons drawn. Mason pulled his gun out and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Drop your weapon and put your hands in the air!"

The gun was suddenly pressed Alex's temple as Mason tightened his hold around Alex's neck. "If you come any closer, I'll put a bullet through her head."

Tears tumbled down Alex's bruised cheeks. She couldn't help but feel like this was the end. There was no doubt that Mason would follow through with his threats. Time and time again he acted upon them. There was no way he was going succumb to the police officers. The only way Alex imagined this ending was with the trigger being pulled against her temple.

"You don't want to do that. Drop the weapon." One of the officers commanded as he inched forward with his gun aimed at Mason. "Let her go. You can get off easy if she walks out of here alive."

"Alex! What's going on?" Dean's voiced echoed distraughtly from the phone lying on the floor.

"Shut up!" Mason's screamed, his eyes wild with rage. He shuffled towards the door. "You're not taking her! She's mine!"

A deafening crack exploded within the room. Alex felt Mason's grip disappear as he dropped to the floor with a thud, grunting as he grasped the wound on his shoulder, sputtering with blood. Alex collapsed to the floor beside him, unable to stand on her feet. The room was spinning, and her mind felt woozy; she couldn't process the events unfolding around her. Officers were talking, but she couldn't make out their words. A startled yelp left her lips when she felt a tight grasp encircle her ankle and she made an effort to crawl away, but her body disobeyed her. Within seconds officers were pouncing on Mason, dragging him away from Alex, and escorting him out in handcuffs.

A man was suddenly hovering over Alex and she became very aware of the fact that she was naked in front of nearly a dozen emergency responders. She whimpered softly as she attempted to cover her body. "Alex, my name is Jason. I'm going to help you, okay? I need you to stay as still as possible, so you don't make any of your injuries worse, okay?"

"O-okay." Alex whispered. Her entire body ached, and her head pounded. She was trembling uncontrollably, and she wasn't sure if it was from fear or cold; probably a combination of both.

"Me and the other paramedics are going to quickly lift you on your side and place a board underneath you to stabilize your spine. I know this is probably scary, but try to stay still and not fight us, okay? We're going to help you."

"Okay." Alex repeated unevenly. Multiple hands were suddenly grabbing at her. Her entire body tensed, and she fought the urge to lash out. She released the breath she didn't know she was holding when the hands left her lying on her back on a long board. A brace was placed over her neck followed by an oxygen mask.

"You're doing great. I'm going to place some pads between your legs to help the bleeding." Jason warned before performing the action, causing Alex to flinch. A warm blanket was thrown over her and she cherished the warmth and protection it brought. "We're going to bring you out to the ambulance and transport you to the hospital."

Alex struggled to focus on the paramedic. So much had unraveled in the past half hour and the pain, fear, and shock only seemed to worsen things. Her eyelids grew heavy and she heard someone urging her to keep them open. Cold air tickled her nose as she drifted in and out of a delirious haze. The sound of the ambulance doors shutting was the last sound to meet her ears before she surrendered to the darkness.

 _Thanks for reading! We'll find out if Alex is okay next chapter! Review!_


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